Warcraft: An Alternate Timeline
by TLHellmann
Summary: A short story about Thrall and Jaina in an alternate timeline. Thrall confronts Chromie, the timewalking bronze dragon, with a question which lingered his mind ever since Theramore was destroyed: What if? What if he chose the human lady? The 'present' parts of the story take place shortly after Warlords of Draenor. Have fun.
1. Prologue

**Chapter 1 - Prologue**

Theramore. A subtle, purple gloom encases the destructed city and the small island. The few remaining stone walls, once covering the entire island, are the only visible structures left. Most of them are collapsed. Big stones now break the waves coming from the ocean. One can see a big hole where the bomb hit the ground. It was where the central tower of the city stood. Jaina's tower. A familiar place of diplomacy. Nothing is left.

Eternal calm surrounds the area. Only the wind is rustling in the trees. The bridge which connected Theramore isle with the surrounding marshes are destroyed. Beautiful cobblestones litter the water below. The sky is partly cloudy and the sun fights its way through white spots and stripes.

Go'el stops in front of the impassable bridge which once led to the northwestern entrance of the ruined city. He devoutly kneels on the stony ground and closes his eyes. His breathing gets deeper as he lets his thoughts flow in this moment of calmness. Should it really be this way? Only the birds in the nearby trees still feel home in this area. Someone comes closer from behind.

"You are not here for meditation this morning, are you?" a female voice asks.

It is Chromie. A bronze dragon, able to see the past and alternate timelines, in her small gnome form. The orc opens his eyes again and looks at her with a troubled smile.

"No. It is something important. A question I have had in mind for weeks now."

He stands up and makes some steps towards a nearby log. They both take a seat on its soft bark and face each other.

"Tell me," Chromie demands in a pleasant tone.

Go'el points at the ruins with his head.

"Look at this. I have never visited this place after its destruction… but now I understand."

The gnome lady remains calm but forces him to get to the point.

"That is not a question, Go'el."

He lays the back of his hands on the bark, indirectly asking her to take them and focuses her eyes. The orc needs a moment to gather himself.

"After all this time, I asked myself very often… What if? What if I intensified my friendship with Jaina. Would it all still happen if... If I chose Jaina as my life mate? Would it be better or would it be even worse?"

His voice gets stronger and demanding as despair erupts in his mind.

"Chromie, I want you to show me the timeline in which we are… together," he continues but then gets angry with himself for a moment. A forceful cry.

"Is there one?!"

The small timewalker is not surprised by this moment of rudeness. She looks down and pulls something out of her pocket. It is a big shard of glass. A blue shimmer on the edges makes it look magical. It is big enough to look through with both eyes. To make sure her companion understands, she puts it in the palm of his hands which still touch the bark.

"Do you remember the 'Hourglass of Time'? It helped us walking through time and space, during Garrosh's trial on Pandaria for instance. Now it is fractured. With this shard, we might still see pieces and parts of alternate timelines. Not everything, not all details, but parts of it."

"Is. There. One?" Go'el repeats in giving points to his words. Chromie now spots a concerned face and gives him a broad smile. She already expected this is today's subject.

"Yes, there is one."

"I do not want to change that timeline. Can we enter it without being noticed?"

The small lady looks confident and nods.

"We will see the timeline through this shard. It might be possible that I can project seminal and critical situations around us. So you feel like being there but they will not see us."

"That is good to know... What now?"

"Shall we begin?" Chromie asks and grabs his giant fingers.

They look down at the shard. After starring at it for a while, the world around them becomes blurry. Time and space bends. Colors and surfaces merge into one surrounding color gradient. A dizzy feeling encased Go'el's body for a moment. Only now he realizes that their journey through the alternate timeline has just begun.


	2. Year 22 (The Frozen Throne)

**Chapter 2 - Year 22 (TFT)**

Go'el finds himself floating in the air, slowly coming closer to the ground. He realizes he is in another time and place now. This is not the marsh anymore. They are in the middle of Theramore isle and the city is still standing. However, Chromie sits in front of him and holds his hands.

"Can you hear me?" she asks and interrupts his surprise.

"I do… But where are we? Or when are we?"

"We are in Theramore. I want to show you the event that initiated this alternate timeline. Do you remember this situation?"

Go'el scans the area and sees many orc and tauren warriors surrounding human soldiers. His jaw drops when he realizes they are his warriors. A long time ago. His young self stands in the frontline, with his half-ogre commander, Rexxar, next to him. Many dead bodies cover the ground. Humans and orcs alike. In front of him lies an old human admiral, dying from his wounds. Blood covers his body. How could Go'el forget? This is the assault on Theramore after Jaina's father threatened the newly founded Durotar and the existence of the orcish race.

 _In the next moment, she appears in the scene. Jaina weeps as she sees her dead father._

 _"Father… why wouldn't you listen?" the devastated lady cries._

 _Rexxar looks to her one last time._

 _"Above all else, Jaina, he was a proud warrior. Remember him as such."_

„Now, watch closely," Chromie anticipates while Go'el still sees the projection of this scene.

"The next thing I should do is bidding Jaina farewell, exchange some words with Rexxar and leave the island," he adds and watches the evolving event.

"Yes… Look, I talk to him and leave and… What?!"

 _All of the sudden, Thrall stops. Rexxar is surprised as he reads the sadness in his eyes. The Warchief turns around and looks at the crying lady. The view saddens him._

 _"I cannot leave her like this. After all the loss in her life. After all the battles we fought together," he says and walks up to her. The guards let him pass through without saying a word. Instead, they begin to carry away the corpses. Now, Thrall stands next to her and slowly kneels down. He gently touches her shivering shoulder and looks into her blushed face._

 _"If you ever need help, you know where to find me."_

 _"Leave now!" she demands and pushes him away with her arm._

 _The orc stands up again and prepares to catch up with his leaving warriors._

 _"I am sorry for what happened to you, Jaina," he concludes and goes his way._

The scene fades and Go'el looks up. Chromie smiles, waiting for a reaction.

"This is all? This is what divides the timelines?" he asks with doubt in his face.

"Yes. Comforting her makes the difference. This Thrall remembered his beloved human friend, Taretha. You would have chosen her as your mate if she was not killed, right?"

"I am not sure. She at least was the most valuable thing in my youth. A beloved sister."

"Now that Thrall realized he likes human ladies… When did you see Jaina after this?"

He closes his eyes for a moment to remember that time.

"I don't know. One or two years later because I needed her help."

The small lady nods. She already knows more than Go'el.

"The other Thrall only had to wait some weeks to meet Jaina again. Do you want to see more?"

Go'el gets nervous and rapidly blinks with his eyes.

"Everything both you and the shard allow me to."

The two time travellers look down again and find themselves in a different place now. The stone walls of Theramore transformed into the red, rocky grounds and ridges of his home country, Durotar. Some working orcs fill the location. It is the future Razor Hill in an unfinished state. Wooden barracks and buildings on the one end, construction sides on the other end of the place.

"And you are there," Chromie says and points directly at a stack of logs. "Do you see yourself? You do not wear your armor but instead supervise the process and help your workers."

"I remember that day. It was very warm but I wanted them to finish the house before sunset," Go'el adds. His eyes grow big as he spots a very special person coming closer.

"Are you surprised?"

"More than that. This is impossible. How can this be? I wish to see this scene around me."

 _Thrall stands there, with big eyes facing the west. Subconsciously shaking his head, he spots Jaina approaching the outpost. As soon as the other orcs detect her, their Warchief raises a hand._

 _"We will take a break. Leave me alone."_

 _His men obey and leave the area to have a meal._

 _A few seconds later, Jaina stands in front of him. She wears a dress, with the hood covering her head, and frowns. Her lips are compressed, so are her eyes. The closer she gets, the more Thrall notices the red tone in her face._

 _"Follow me," he says and guides his ally into a nearby tent._

 _Now they stand there, face to face._

 _"If you want to hate and punish me for what happened, so be it," he adds in a calm but clear voice and drops the hammer in his hand. The lady does not say any word but lifts her head and focuses him. She quickly comes closer and in the moment she closes the gap, Thrall realizes it is sadness and dried tears which flushed her skin._

 _She makes a short dash, grabs his massive head, pulls it down and before he can do anything against it, he feels Jaina's lips touching his. He joins the kiss and closes his eyes. A warm feeling passes through his body. As Jaina pulls her head back again, they give each other a forgiving smile. But then, Thrall looks worried.  
_

 _"But Jaina... This cannot be. I am an orc. You are a human. How-?_ _ _"  
"Just let us try. To show them it might work," Jaina comforts the orc.  
_"I have always admired your courage," Thrall confesses and nods his sorrows away._

"Have we really-?" the confused orc asks. Chromie cuts him off before he can complete his question.

"Go'el… You just began the romance."

"That Jaina is more than brave but I can understand her. She lost her love Arthas not even a year ago, then she lost her father, both due to their madness."

The gnome lady looks in a sad face and nods.

"When you… I mean he comforted her, she somehow felt safe for a moment and that somebody out there cared about her. That one was you, the other Thrall."

"How was she able to find me and why did my peons not stop her?" Go'el asks.

He knows his people still had issues with the humans, even after their mutual victory.

"As you just said, Go'el. She is very brave, independent and knows how to defend herself. I cannot see how she managed to convince your warriors and workers though. However, she is fine."

Go'el has to smile. Yes, Jaina has always been this way. That is why he liked her so much.

The scene fades and some time passes. Go'el takes a short break to let the images of the alternate past sink in. He leans on a tree and looks at the ruins. Chromie still sits there and continues:

"You need some time to intensify your relationship. The troubled situation makes it difficult for you to find a safe meeting point," she explains. "During the first weeks, both of you are uncertain if this is the right thing. It is very difficult for you to hide the relationship. The hatred between orcs and humans is still immeasurable. After a while, you begin to enjoy the romance. You find some nice places to meet undisturbed. Yes, you really like it. You fall in love with Jaina."

"And Jaina?" he asks with a sorrowful nuance in his voice.

"She has inner distrust. You have to understand. She still has strong feelings for Arthas and she somehow misses him. Jaina fears she can never have such a close relationship again. Especially not with an orc. Those memories are the first challenge for your relationship. Additionally, she cannot forget how brutal and savage orcs can be. The relationship starts slow. You are the one who can convince her to forget about the past and accept the present. But it takes a lot of time, a lot of talking. Two years, to be precise. During this time, you have regular dates in secret places or at night.

But then… after those two years, she embraces you and does not see the orc anymore. When she kisses you, she does not kiss an orc but you. When she touches your hand, she does not see the green color but your hand. And when she looks into your face, she only sees your blue, loving eyes."


	3. Year 24 (Pre-WoW)

**Chapter 3 - Year 24 (Pre-WoW)**

Go'el still cannot believe what Chromie is telling him. Not only a friendship but real love? A true relationship between a human and an orc? There has to be dark times. Times in which this love is on the brink. Problems. Disagreements. Racial or cultural arguments.

He turns around and takes his seat on the log again. His mouth opens but the words get stuck in his throat. A self-conscious laugh instead.

"What about… the next step? You know what I mean," he says and looks down his body.

Chromie already expected this question. She blinks with one eye and then looks through the shard.

"Of course there is more than just kissing after some time. In the summer, you have some beautiful nights by and in the Southfury River or somewhere on Durotar's beaches. Good food, a bottle of wine, intense talks and sometimes... no clothes. In one of those nights, an orc guard is about to catch you. You hold Jaina very close to you and you both swim beneath a salient rock formation where nobody can see you. You both have to suppress your laughter."

"Very pleasant images. One can feel the love," Go'el admits.

"Let us leave it at that. I have a little surprise for you now. Certainly, you want to know who of your friends and advisors know about it. Your old tauren friend, the late high chieftain Cairne, is the first you tell about Jaina."

"My beloved Cairne. Who else would I trust this much? I miss his father-like advise and the wisdom he shared with me," a truly sad orc comments and sighs.

"Look at the shard, Go'el. That Thrall even shares his secret love with Cairne. And you know how the old bull reacts? He joins that happiness and beams with joy."

The big orc laughs when he sees the alternate Cairne cheering. His love for the deceased old friend is still strong.

"Does anybody else know about Jaina?"

"After Cairne warns you to tell other loyal allies and friends, you still tell more people about it. The old orc Eitrigg, your dear advisor, knows it and remembers his bond with Tirion. That old paladin knows it because Jaina sends him a secret letter. Vol'jin, of course, as your close friend. You even tell your shaman master Drek'thar but he does not like the idea at all. Some of your workers and warriors speculate about it behind your back, making it difficult for you to keep it secret.

As you can imagine, not many are pleased with your relationship. They fear it will break the Horde or the Alliance, that you lost your face, and that it may result in even more trouble on Azeroth."

Go'el nods. One love cannot vanish two decades of hatred and war.

Suddenly, Chromie is taken by surprise by the following events.

"Oh… that is sad. Jaina does not want to marry. She is afraid of this step because she fears hostile reactions from both the Horde and the Alliance. You try to solace her. Some weeks pass. Then you have an intense conversation about it in the evening. You just had a dinner together and she feels happy. Comforting her has an effect. She looks at you and demands a human wedding."

Go'el immediately shakes his head.

"A human wedding? I am an orc. How can that Thrall even accept that?"

"She tells you about the planned wedding with Arthas. And then, she cries. You accept it because you do not want her to feel sad when she thinks about endorsing your bond. You just do not want to see her sad anymore. On the other hand, she accepts that you will choose the location. Both of you agree it will be the foot of Mount Hyjal. The place where it all began."

"I can see why they chose this place. Orgrimmar is too dangerous for humans, Theramore too dangerous for orcs. So they needed a neutral place."

"You are correct, Go'el."

"Let us change the subject. Now that this Thrall has dated Jaina for two years, how does it affect Durotar and the events which took place in that year?"

Chromie scans the shard for a while and then looks up.

"That is interesting. Due to your better relation to the humans, the alternate Orgrimmar does really well. Due to calm times, there is technical advancement. You and your advisors agree to invest in some human, gnome and goblin technology to help Durotar become less dependent. As far as I can see, your home town is better connected to water supplies."

Go'el looks concerned.

"Everything feels better… This is unexpected. I feared dealing with the humans does only harm my home more than it could have been helpful."

"You still have to deal with a lot of problems. But in this timeline," Chromie adds while pointing at the glass, "you have Jaina on your side. Remember?"

Go'el touches his brow and closes his eyes to remember the events.

"The Thunder Lizard resettlement?"

"Jaina still helps you to find a new place for them."

"The Barrens?"

"The Horde still agrees to build camps there."

"King Varian?"

"Is still found by your gladiator master, Rehgar. And Rexxar still defends Jaina in a dispute. He seems to like her."

"While we are on it, the corrupted orc Brux and the demon?"

"You crush the orc's skull because of his corruption and you still banish the demon with Jaina's help. You do not only kill him to protect Orgrimmar and your people but also your fam… oh."

Both glance at each other with big eyes. Go'el's jaw drops again. The gnome lady gets fidgety and joyfully shakes her fists.

"This is so wonderful, Go'el. Look at Jaina. Look at her."

"A baby," Go'el whispers. His breathing gets heavy as he stares at the slightly rounded belly and adds:

"And so, the cycle of hatred is broken."


	4. Year 25 (WoW)

**Chapter 4 - Year 25 (WoW)**

Chromie focuses the speechless orc who still stares at the alternate Jaina with astonishment.

"If you are shocked by the news now, I am not sure if we should proceed. There is much more to explore for you."

"No… no I can handle it," he admits and shakes off the confusion in his head. "It is just… I know how Jaina behaved before Garrosh destroyed Theramore. She was kind and helpful to me but she also had a mind of her own. Seeing her loving me, obeying me and making me a pa so early just does not fit. The changed events also changed her. In a good way for that Thrall. Chromie, no matter what we just saw. I want to know one thing: Are they happy in that timeline?"

She gives him a confident smile.

"Yes. When they are alone, they feel happy. Such a lovely couple. She makes him feel strong but at the same time allows him to show his emotional side when he feels to."

"Aggra is very different. She does not accept my weaknesses," Go'el adds.

"I noticed," Chromie giggles. "On the other hand, he makes Jaina feel protected and he, surprisingly, demands physical contact due to his… and your lonely and painful childhood. They promise to not lose someone so important in their life again. And they do everything to protect each other."

"Killing Brux."

"That is one example."

The orc looks concerned for a moment.

"Now that more and more people know about his love and after he and Jaina changed their attitudes, does it affect the political situation? I would like to see this."

"Watch closely. You shake hands with two human traders who have an appointment in your hold. That means… You allow Alliance dealers to sell their goods in Orgrimmar. You encourage your people to talk to them. To get to know each other and learn how to respect one another."

Go'el lifts one eye brow and warily continues to watch the scene.

"It seems like the tauren in the city get used to them quicker than my orcs. Once again, I am not surprised. How does Theramore react to the deal?"

"Jaina and her people do the same. They welcome Horde traders. Even some orcs are among them."

"This is the Jaina I will always remember."

The small gnome lady lifts her index finger.

"Even better. You make a contract with the night elves in Ashenvale. The war is on hold. The more you learn from Jaina and the humans, the better you understand the elves' concerns. As a symbol of trust, you and Jaina order your men to plant trees. She surprises you when she suggests to reforest some areas. You frown at her," she laughs, "but you like this idea and instruct the present clan members to obey this order. It unfortunately does not work too well as you cannot keep an eye on all your people. They soon fall back to old habits."

Chromie lowers her eyes when she sees the upcoming situation.

"There are some dark clouds on the horizon though. You visit the Orgrimmar arena and you watch a gladiator duel but something feels wrong. The fighter in the ring does not look like a regular orc."

"Varian…"

"It indeed is Varian. Go'el, I do not know what happened in our timeline but watching this makes the other Thrall furious. After the fight, you immediately leave your seat and make your way to the cells. There you spot Varian. An imprisoned slave, fighting for Rehgar after he captured him."

"Please let me watch this confrontation around me if this is possible."

Go'el now sits inside the building. The crowd cheers outside. Dim light illuminates the fighter's brown face. The cell is dark, the floor is dusty. A bucket full of water stands in one corner, the blanket on the other side is his bed. He is alone.

 _Thrall stands in front of him and scans his visage closely._

 _"You are not an orc. I can see it. I can smell it. Show me your true self, warrior."_

 _The man makes a step forward._

 _"Orcs have sharp senses but do they stick to their self-imposed honor and respect? Are they intelligent enough to learn from their past? Are you, Warchief?"_

 _He makes some steps to the side but his head keeps focusing his opponent._

 _"Human… I am no normal orc."_

 _"Spare me your words, Thrall. I know your story. Everyone knows."_

 _"Then you know that I fought alongside humans and night elves to save our world. The horrors of my forefathers faded. Theramore is at peace with my people and I wish to uphold it as long as possible. Yes, human warrior. I learned from the past and I know how good it feels to live in peace."_

 _The gladiator takes a deep breath before he continues. He stands up straight and touches his heart._

 _"I am Varian Wrynn, king of Stormwind and the leader of the Alliance."_

 _Thrall immediately bows in front of him to show respect._

 _"Your master Rehgar captured me when I stranded here. He forced me to train my fighting skills, to fight against all kinds of creatures and monsters."_

 _In the middle of this sentence, Rehgar comes back with a wounded fighter and guides him to his cell. It is as dark and dirty as the rest of this place. The Warchief straightens up and gets angry._

 _"What are you doing, Rehgar?" he asks in slow but powerful words. "You are enslaving people? Explain!"_

 _Both orcs snarl at each other. Then, Rehgar speaks up._

 _"They are the best gladiators on this continent. They are heroes in the ring. I train them and make them even better. Your people want to see blood. I give them the opportunity to do so. And they are a good source of revenue for you, Thrall."_

 _The Warchief gets frantic and rapidly shakes with his head._

 _"I will no longer accept this! You insult my values! Wake up, Rehgar! The times of enslavement are over! Where is your honor? Your respect? You are not Blackmoore!"_

 _Rehgar lowers his view as he remembers the difficult childhood of his leader._

 _"Why have you done this to me? You are my brother, Rehgar! I do not want to see my children growing up like this. I demand an official apology!"_

 _The gladiator master leaves the location without saying a word. Thrall opens the cell of the wounded warrior and turns to Varian again._

 _"In behalf of my people, I apologize for everything," he says while unlocking the door. "You are free now. I hope we will never meet in such a place again."_

 _Varian opens the door and steps out of his prison. Thrall bows in respect once more._

"Before you say something. I need to add that, after his dispute with Rehgar, Thrall permanently forbids Mak'goras to death and brutal gladiator fights. He instead invents tournaments in which the best fighters on the continent compete in a sporting way. Needless to say, Jaina admires this decision. Oh, and he invites Varian to the first tournament but the king refuses to come due to his very negative experience with the Horde."

"I do not know what to say. That Thrall feels like me, he behaves like me but he is different," Go'el comments the ending confrontation.

"You are about to marry Jaina. Of course this changes you. Speaking of which…"

"Is it time?" he asks and cheers.

"Yes, Go'el. It finally happens," Chromie replies and switches the location.

"After all the crises and three years after they first kissed, Thrall and Jaina marry near Mount Hyjal. They invited friends and officials from both factions. Everyone knows this is a secret wedding. The celebration takes place in a prepared location with chairs and a long carpet leads to the front. Several cooks serve foods and drinks. Big torches light the fairground when the sun sets. And look who sits in the front row. Eitrigg and Tirion, next to each other. They tell stories and laugh and are very happy to meet again. I can see nothing but honesty and a strong friendship between those old guys. The guests wear their finest suits and clothes. Some even got dressed by goblin or human tailors.

Then, the highlight of the evening. Two preachers, a human and an orc, wed you. You stand in front of everyone with Cairne on your side. He is your witness. Jaina approaches from behind. She wears a beautiful, white dress and Tirion guides her to the front. The preachers give a short speech and then hand you the rings. To everyone's surprise, you do not take her surname."

"Stop for a moment. I, Thrall, son of Durotan, considered taking a human surname?"

"You look as surprised as your guests in the other timeline. Even a marriage certificate exists. It simply says 'Thrall' as your name. I know this sounds awkward but remember: Jaina only accepted a human wedding and he agreed. She does not like your decision but respects it. Do not worry."

 _The rings fit perfectly, the certificates are shared. Thrall and Jaina now face each other and beam with joy. One important thing is left. He opens his arms._

 _"Hop!" he calls._

 _The crowd laughs. The big height difference amuses their guests. Jaina makes a short dash but instead of pulling his head down, she jumps up his arms. They kiss passionately. A standing ovation. After Thrall lets his wife stand on her fine shoes again, they hold their hands and turn towards the audience. He lifts their folded hands up in the air and humbly speaks:_

 _"This shall be the beginning of a better future."_

Chromie cannot hide her emotions. The images are too beautiful.

"His…" she sniffs, "his present for her is a journey across the continent. She also visits Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff to understand the Horde and her new family better. Cairne treats her well and he introduces his son Baine to her. The young tauren is curious and pleased by their presence."

Go'el is astounded by so much love. This is not the Azeroth he knows. It is too good to be true. Where are the conflicts? Where is the skirmish? Where is all the hatred? However, he has an equally interesting question in his mind.

"What did Jaina do?"

"Soon after the journey, Jaina is not able to travel anymore. You already know why. So she stays on her island. That leads her Thrall to shuttle between Theramore and Orgrimmar."

"Who takes care of her when I… I mean he is away?"

"Her night elf guard Pained. You should know her. Well, riding through the Barrens and Durotar annoys him after a while. So Jaina makes an important announcement. An announcement which divides the timelines even more: She proclaims neutrality for Theramore."

"What?!"

"I also cannot believe it, Go'el. That Jaina now welcomes every race as long as they remain peaceful. She then discusses and declares some strict rules with her husband, that is you. To maintain peace on the island, only one major violation of those rules result in exclusion. Both the Horde and the Alliance agree to this law and establish a permanent zeppelin route between Orgrimmar and Theramore..."

The next important scene appears on the other side of the shard and the small timewalker takes a deep breath. Two months later, the inevitable happens.

"Thrall has a meeting in Grommash Hold. Look, there are your friends Vol'jin, Eitrigg and Cairne. A human runner storms into the conference room and demands the Warchief to come with him immediately. He jumps up, knowing what is about to happen, and advises Eitrigg to replace him in the next days. The old orc agrees and wishes Thrall all the best. A Hearthstone teleports him right in front of Jaina's tower. He closes the doors and jumps up the stairs to be with his wife. A few hours later, a tiny cry can be heard for the first time. It is a boy."

The two time travellers look up to check each other's emotion. Chromie spots endless joy in Go'el's eyes. It feels like reliving the birth of his son.

"What… is his name?"

"You call him Duran. It combines every of your parents' names. Durotan, Draka and Daelin. The name is your everlasting sorry for killing Jaina's father. She loves the name. And how cute the baby looks, wrapped in his soft blanket. One week after the birth, Cairne and his son visit you. You have never seen Cairne so nervous before. He even is afraid of holding the baby, fearing that his giant arms could hurt him. Baine, however, likes it and quickly gets used to the tiny being. The old bull suddenly has an idea. He proposes Baine to become the big uncle for the boy and Baine loves the idea. Jaina is deeply moved, accepts this offer wholeheartedly and calls Cairne grandpa from this day on. And that is all I can show you from this year in the alternate timeline."


	5. Year 26 (The Burning Crusade)

**Chapter 5 - Year 26 (TBC)**

After a short break, the timewalkers sit down again and enter the timeline some months later.

"Unfortunately, time goes on and soon the other Thrall prepares to leave for a journey."

Knowing what comes next and how his journey to Outland changed everything, Go'el remains silent to find out if his alternate version acts differently.

"Your family waves you goodbye when you pass the bridge of Theramore. Some time later, you enter the Dark Portal and visit the orcish world… and you look shocked."

"I indeed was shocked. You have to know, this was the first time I saw what the corrupted orcs and demons did to our home world."

"Let us jump forward then… There, you sit next to a very old orc lady. Is she…"

Go'el almost imperceptibly nods in respect.

"My greatmother."

"Oh, this is interesting. She reveals your real name. The birth name your parents gave you."

"Yes, that was the day I knew I am Go'el. The timeline looks identical to what happened here. He talks to her..." he scans the location and the dialogue. "Stop, I never said that."

 _"I am proud of my people, greatmother. Many abandoned their brutish past. For the first time since our people came to that foreign world, we live in calm times. We found a land for our people and established peace with the humans. Some orcs even fell in love with them. There is still a long road ahead of us but I see hope."_

"However, you still find Garrosh and take him to Azeroth. All the talking did not prevent this big and resonating mistake."

"I do not see how this turns out well for Thrall's family," Go'el worries.

"As soon as you return to Orgrimmar, you have a secret meeting with your advisors. You force everyone to remain silent about your wife and son until all of you are sure that Garrosh understands it. Has he always hated humans?"

"He did and he never got rid of his hatred. Not even…" he pauses and stares at Chromie.

"How does the peace summit in Theramore turn out in that timeline?"

"First of all, it still happens and still takes place inside the tower but some weeks earlier. You talk to Varian about your past and it looks like the meeting turns out successfully. A large, round table is placed in the middle. Chairs surround it and on the table, one can find ink and papers. Two guards secure the entrance. The ground floor of the tower is filled with Alliance and Horde members. Among them are you and your advisors Rehgar and Garrosh. Varian, his son Anduin, his advisor, Jaina and her chamberlain stand on the other side. Rehgar makes a step towards Varian and reaches out his hand. The king frowns as he distrusts the Horde after his time as a slave. He ignores the handshake. His former slave master nonetheless bows and shows a sign of regret. Your rebuke in the arena must have worked. Meanwhile, Anduin cannot take his eyes from you. The young boy has always admired you and your victories. When the eyes meet, you notice the boy's elation. Your serious mien lightens up for a second and you silently give Anduin a smile."

Looking at the human prince through the shard makes Go'el feel uneasy.

"I never realized how much Anduin looked up to me. It is very good to see this Thrall does better than I did."

"Everyone sits down and discusses the peace contract. You pick up the feather and start to take notes. They soon agree to trade goods. Lumber for Orgrimmar, copper for Stormwind. But then… Screams and clashing swords emerge from the streets."

"The assassination attempt," Go'el remembers but gets scared. "Where is the baby?!"

"Do not worry, Go'el. Pained cares for him upstairs. The attackers do not reach the steps because you slay everyone who tries to hurt your boy."

He sighs in relief and comments:

"So the assassins reach the conference room."

"After the attack is repelled, you expel Garona from Theramore. Jaina sentences her to death if she ever tries to enter the island again. Garona is the orc lady who tried to kill Varian, his boy and your family. She seems to be under demonic influence."

"She was and I remember her but this ending is new to me. She was captured, not banned. But I understand why he and Jaina did it. They just follow the rules they established a year ago. Varian, however, looks as angry as he did in our timeline."

Chromie is in sorrow while following the ongoing situation.

"You all go back into the tower but then Varian wants to leave in rage. He shouts at you."

Go'el raises his hand and finds himself standing in the background of the confrontation.

 _"Enough of that, Thrall! Your people will never learn from their past. Never!"_

 _Rehgar looks at Varian's advisors. He speaks in Thrall's stead._

 _"I can ensure you we have nothing to do with this attack. Garona has never been around us. We fought her dubious allies together in this very moment. We all have wounds to heal as you can see."_

 _He points at one still bleeding cut on his upper arm. Everyone in the room agrees with the former slave master but Varian explicitly denies with his hand._

 _"Silence. I do not want to hear any excuses. First your kind killed my father, you tried to kill me only moments ago, you even wanted to kill my son. Now you lie to me. Curse you!"_

 _"Varian!" an upset Jaina responds._

 _"Father!" the young Anduin joins her dismay._

 _"Hold your tongue, puny human! Your disrespect makes you perfect targets!"_

 _The attendees align themselves with the source of this angry shout. It is Garrosh who challenges Varian and menaces him with his weapon._

 _"This is war!" the king furiously grunts and turns around to leave._

 _That is the last straw for Thrall. He bangs his fists on the table._

 _"SIT DOWN!" he yells. "We are not done here!"_

 _His burning view focuses Garrosh's brown face._

 _"And YOU will be quiet from now on, Garrosh!"_

 _Varian shakes his head._

 _"I will no longer accept orders from dishonorable orcs. This is over!"_

 _"NO!" the Warchief yells again and bares his teeth in despair._

 _He looks at the guards near the entrance and hastily points with his finger._

 _"Block the doors. This is an order."_

 _To Varian's surprise, Jaina's guards obey. They make a step to the door and hinder the human king to leave this place. With a hollow bump, Thrall sits down on his chair again, with anger in his eyes, and finishes the contract. Everyone in the room stares at the table. Only the gentle scratching of the feather can be heard. Nobody dares to even make a noise. The silence is haunting._

 _Some written sentences later, the Warchief signs the paper at the bottom. He takes the inkpot, stands up again and turns the contract around, giving Varian the opportunity to conclude it. The king does not care about the contract anymore and keeps staring at Thrall. He grabs the feather but instead of signing, he keeps holding it._

 _Jaina uses this opportunity and pulls it out of his fingers. She hesitates at first. Her breath caught. The surrounding participants are shocked by this unexpected action. Jaina has to decide. There are only two options left. All-out war or at least a glimpse of hope._

 _Then the leader of Theramore shows courage and writes her name next to her husband's and gives the feather back to the king. He slowly grabs but then snaps it with his fingers._

 _"Lady Jaina…" he snarls in her face._

 _Thrall immediately makes some steps around the table to protect Jaina._

 _"On behalf of the Alliance, I do not accept this contract. From this day on, I will not attend a peace summit again."_

 _The king turns around, takes Anduin's hand and now stands in front of the guards. Thrall nods at them from behind to let him pass through. On the threshold, Varian looks around one last time._

 _"Hear me, Warchief. I will destroy the Horde if it is necessary," he forewarns and leaves the island._

 _Thrall roars in despair and hurls the inkpot against the stony walls. It shatters into many pieces. When he calms down, he subconsciously grabs Jaina's hand. In this second, a shock passes through his entire body. The hands immediately separate again. Realizing that his caring gesture was a huge mistake, he twists his head and sees Garrosh's horrified eyes._

Go'el takes a deep breath to soothe his heartbeat.

"This is not good at all. The summit ended even worse. And now the other Garrosh knows about it. Chromie, you told me that my family is happy in that timeline."

The gnome lady lays the shard aside and smoothly grabs his wrists while looking into his eyes.

"You have to be patient, my dear Go'el. All in its proper time."


	6. Year 27 (Wrath of the Lich King) Part 1

**Chapter 6 - Year 27 (WotLK) Part 1**

"We have done this for some hours so far," Go'el summarizes while taking sips out of a bottle which is tied to his belt. "Only now I do realize there are more clouds in the sky. I fear this is a sign for what is yet to come in the other timeline. And I believe I know what comes next."

He cannot finish expressing his thought as he notices the dropping face of his counterpart.

"What is wrong, Chromie?"

"Go'el, the clouds are right… it is… it is Garrosh. He-"

"I knew this was coming," the orc admits. "That Thrall made a mistake when he took Jaina's hand. Show me what happens next."

 _The sky above Orgrimmar is blue and the temperatures are pleasant this morning. Thrall leaves the zeppelin and goes to a meeting in his hold. He greets the orcs on the streets while approaching his working place. Some minutes later, he arrives his throne room and walks through the entrance. To his surprise, Garrosh and two bodyguards stand in the center. Thrall stops in front of him. The Warchief has a bad feeling. His commander does not look pleased to see him._

 _"Eitrigg? Cairne? Garrosh? Is something wrong?" he asks._

 _Garrosh looks angry and holds his father's axe in his hand._

 _"Your commander demands to speak with you. Now," Cairne answers in a calm but concerned tone._

 _"Garrosh, you are allowed to speak."_

 _"Where do you come from, Warchief?" he growls and starts to amble back and forth._

 _"Do you really believe I did not notice? Your 'meetings' in Theramore?"_

 _Thrall knows what Garrosh is talking about but remains silent to not provoke him further._

 _"YOU chose to be a human. You are an orc no longer! Tell me, Thrall… How is your pitiful human family doing at the moment?"_

 _"I wanted to tell you about them as soon as you understand it," Thrall explains and so keeps the knowledge of his loyal advisors secret. Then he continues:_

 _"I was hoping that you, Garrosh, learn from me and my actions. For the Horde."_

 _Garrosh stops walking and faces his Warchief. After some giggles, he burst out laughing and raises his axe. Now he points it at Thrall._

 _"You are weak! You, who would parley with the humans! You betrayed the Horde! MY father would feel ashamed by your behaviour!"_

 _"Garrosh, enough. Your father has nothing to do with this. Besides, he was a hothead, just like you. He swung his axe before he thought. My childhood bars me from only seeing our path."_

 _The brown orc gets furious about the dismissive words._

 _"What did you just say about my father?! I will not accept this! After all he did for YOU and YOUR people? MAK'GORA!"_

Go'el is petrified with horror. His student not only challenges him to lead the Horde because of Jaina and Duran. The shocked orc realizes that the point of time is not right.

"The fight comes too early. If I remember correctly, the undead invasion arrives months later."

"I know, Go'el. This is the first major difference since you married Jaina," Chromie confirms.

"Do you feel all right?"

Go'el hesitates, his breath jitters for a while.

"No… but let the inevitable begin. I am ready."

"On the very same day, both you and Garrosh meet in the Orgrimmar arena. Among many watchers, your close friends Vol'jin and Cairne are with you. The contenders agree with the rules you set some years ago. One weapon. No armor apart from short pants. A fight until one cannot stand upright anymore. Then, everyone is ready. Garrosh roars and charges you. The fight begins."

 _Garrosh's axe, Gorehowl, and Thrall's Doomhammer collide. The clash throws out sparks. Another strike, another clash. The fighters show no mercy and wield their weapons with all their power and will. Cairne notices that the fight is equal at first. Despite some first cuts and some abrasion, nobody gets the upper hand._

 _"Being with a human seems to weaken you," he taunts his enemy. "Fear the axe of a true orc!"_

 _He aims at Thrall's shoulder. The Warchief can jump sidewards in time to reduce the power of the impact but still the axe hits. Blood runs down the gash. Without noticing, Thrall can swing the hammer and strikes Garrosh's loin. Both fighters make some steps back and look at each other._

 _But then, Garrosh prevails. He uses his fists to punch his contender's ribs and then aims for the head. Thrall loses his balance. Garrosh uses this moment for a forceful jab with the top of his axe. The sound of the breaking nose pleases him. His enemy snorts. Blood splatters down on the floor. Thrall swings his hammer again but in this moment, the axe hits its grip, causing the hammer to fly across the arena. Garrosh wields Gorehowl upwards and leaves a long cut on Thrall's chest. The brown orc throws his axe away and grabs his victim. He punches the already marked face of his opponent. Once. Twice. Garrosh pushes him away again._

 _With a dazed feeling, Thrall sees the third punch coming but is unable to dodge it. The crunching fist hits his temple. Enervated by wounds and bruises, Thrall sinks to the floor and does not move anymore. Drops of blood color the sand red. From the corner of his eyes, he notices how Garrosh raises his axe and roars. Many of the spectators join him. Vol'jin and Cairne immediately rush to the badly wounded former Warchief. They each grab one arm and shoulder and carry his limp body out of the arena._

 _"Hear me, Thrall. From this day on, I am going to lead the Horde, the true Horde, to a better future. I welcome everyone who has the courage to stand at my side. But you, Thrall, are no part of it. I expel you from Orgrimmar. Should I see you again in this place, I will kill you and everything you hold dear!"_

"How did the fight end in our timeline?" the concerned Chromie asks.

"We fought for a while but soon the undead invasion arrived Orgrimmar. There was no winner. Chromie, please let us see if the other Thrall makes it."

"We will. Your friends carry you to the next zeppelin which takes you back to Theramore," she adds, "Cairne tells Garrosh that he will return to Thunder Bluff afterwards. Eitrigg and Vol'jin stay in Orgrimmar and will help Garrosh for the sake of their people. They will still stay in good contact with you, do not worry. On the zeppelin, you regain consciousness. You groan in pain. The entire body hurts. The journey is a torture for you. Two orc guards protect you during the flight."

Thrall unbelievingly shakes his head when he looks into the clenched face of his other self.

"Garrosh defeated the other Thrall and I do not know what to say about it. This is a nightmare. I cannot imagine how much he had to suffer."

Chromie feels the pain inside him and grabs his hands a bit tighter.

"Another tauren leaves the arena on Cairne's side. The old bull pretends to walk back to his home but after passing the arena gate, when he is sure nobody of Garrosh's new followers hears him, he tells his companion to go back to Thunder Bluff and tell everyone about Thrall's defeat and to remain silent about Cairne's journey. Then he continues to carry you to the zeppelin… Go'el, he comes with you. Cairne lovingly dabs the blood off your body with some cloth. Only then he realizes your wounds can only be tended in Theramore."

"My beloved Cairne…"

"As soon as you arrive in the city, Jaina's and your guards carry you into the tower and lay you onto the bed. Jaina is delirious with sorrow. She immediately tells her guards to take Duran for a long walk and runs to you. They all stand around you now. Cairne continues to wipe the blood off. Your guards tell Jaina what happened in the past hours before they leave. The city's medic arrives and observes the severe wounds. With a heavy bounce, the bag filled with medical content lands on the floor next to your bed."

 _The medic puts some clean gloves on and leans over Thrall's body. Blood drops still cover the big cuts. The gash in his shoulder bleeds heavily. A towel underneath his back catches the dark red drops. Then the man looks in the orc's face. It is contorted with pain. He squints his eyes._

 _"Everyone, hold him tight," the human medic commands the sorrowful crowd and they obey. Cairne holds his upper body, Jaina and her guards the legs._

 _Now the man lifts his arm above Thrall's face and speaks to him._

 _"This will hurt now."_

 _With a powerful jerk, the man straightens his nose. A sudden pang. Thrall screams and cramps. The crowd has trouble pushing him down on the bed._

"The medic cleans and stitches up the deep cuts. Every stitch is painful. Then he applies bandages to the wounds, promises to come back the other day and leaves the building."

Chromie ends this part of the scene. She looks at her spectator, suffering vicariously with both Thralls.

"No break now," he gently demands. "This entire situation never happened and is new to me."

His companion nods and continues.

"In the following days, you have fever. Magic cannot help you much in that situation. The doctor regularly applies ointment and orders you to stay in the bed until you feel better. Cairne and Jaina are always around you. They care for you and they change the dressing on your wounds every day. Cairne brings cold water buckets from the sea, Jaina places wet towels and cloth on your brow. You sleep a lot. But when you are awake, you feel a lot of joy. Your old friend plays with Duran. They giggle and run around the tower and they love each other. And then… Duran gives Cairne a kiss and calls him 'grandpa'.

Later that day, when the moon rises, Jaina and the bull sit at your side. She holds your hand while you are asleep, Cairne took a seat next to her on the ground. He is almost as tall as your wife on her chair. They have a long conversation and their friendship grows even stronger. Watch closely, this part will be pleasant."

 _"Jaina…? Why do we hate each other?" the old tauren asks rhetorically while looking at Thrall._

 _"I could never hate you, Cairne. Not after all you did for us."_

 _"Young Jaina, your words warm my heart. But this is not what I meant. Why do we, the people in this world, hate? Because individuals tell us to do so. Individuals who do not seek for a mutual future but only see war, revenge and conquest."_

 _Jaina tilts her head and looks into Cairne's wise eyes._

 _"But those individuals told an entire race to burn Stormwind. To attack us, the humans, the people on Azeroth. They ended countless lives for no other reason than to kill and to raid our lands. To take over our world. For decades."_

 _"We do not," Cairne says and points at Thrall and himself. "The past cannot be changed. My people were hunted by the centaurs for ages. The present, however, is something we create. We tauren found a calm place to live, for example. After decades of fighting. With the help of those monstrous orcs. Now look at him, look at your loving husband. Remember what he is and who he is now. He, as an orc, overcame the dark past of his race, he ended the bloodshed and the demonic corruption alongside his deceased friend. His unique childhood taught him to do so and he adapted his behavior to this world. It was no other individual, only himself. Thrall found love among humans. You, my lady. He does not hate you or me because nobody taught him to do so. I do not hate you because there is no reason for it. Hate only leads to suffering."_

 _"My father could not discard his hatred. You have to understand. He served in the war and saw how the orcs not only battled the humans but themselves as well. He saw nothing but bloodthirsty monsters. Ever since I was born, he taught me to hate them. I still feel uneasy among orcs who are not Thrall."_

 _The old Cairne nods understandingly and gives Jaina a comforting smile._

 _"Your father saw nothing but a mirror of his own hatred when he threatened Durotar. That anger was his sad destiny. But you, my Jaina, can see the true nature of the orcs. Right in front of you. Now. You have Thrall and his moderate followers. They do no harm as long as they are not threatened and you already learned that. I, for one, wish for a future, long after my aging body was laid to rest, in which the races live with respect, with honor but also with honesty. Your family is a step in the right direction and I am proud of you."_

 _The warm words make Jaina sad. Her eyes fill with tears._

 _"But… Garrosh leads the orcs now. I fear for the very future of my family, for Thrall, for Duran. I fear he will destroy everything we established in the past years. Cairne… I do not want to lose the people I love once more…"_

 _Jaina cannot hold her tears back anymore. She leads Thrall's hand to her brow and cries. Cairne does not know what to do first. He never solaced a human. But then he puts forth his hand and holds it above her sobbing shoulders. He gently touches her back and rubs it. The warm touch eases Jaina's pain. In the next moment, she flings her arms around his chest and lays her head on his soft fur._

"Unnoticed by them, you are awake all along, with your eyes closed, and quietly appreciate the fortified bond between those two friends," Chromie interjects.

 _When Jaina calms down, Cairne holds her head and looks into her blushed face._

 _"Look at me and listen carefully. You are a wonderful human being. Never forget that. Promise me to uphold your hopeful personality and to never harm us."_

 _She nods without saying a word._

 _"Promise me to protect your family and the harmony you established on this beautiful island. We, your family and friends, are there for you if you need us. Do not let Garrosh take that away from you. Jaina… Promise me to be good."_

 _"I… I promise. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, Cairne."_

 _To his surprise, he suddenly feels a kiss on his nose. The tauren feels blindsided, in a good way. He retorts it with a swift kiss on her cheek. It feels strange as he never kissed a human before._

 _"My servants ran you a bath and brought you a pillow downstairs. It should be prepared by now," Jaina offers and looks into tired, restless eyes which lack two days of sleep._

 _"This is the Jaina I want to keep in good memory," he compliments her and accepts the offer._

Go'el feels great. Seeing this family with such a strong bond pleases him. A family without racial borders and ancient conflicts. Something like this is what he has always fought for.

"You feel better soon," Chromie says assuaged. "Physically but not mentally. The discussions and words you have heard in the past days nearly break you. You see your legacy endangered and fall into lethargy for a while. I can even hear you cry once or twice. Everyone buoys you. Jaina gives you so much loving affection. She is the one who clears your mind. Soon, you are able to step out of the tower again. After your first walk around the tower, while standing at the entrance, you turn around and call the citizens to come closer. The crowd hears an official apology speech by you that reinforces Theramore's neutrality and washes your hands clean from the shadows of Theramore's past."

The orc grabs his brow.

"I really should have done something like this," he regrets and looks at the ruins. "Maybe there still would be life here this morning. The other Thrall did the right thing. He actively, not passively, supports Jaina."

"Cairne has to return to Thunder Bluff and says goodbye to you on the bridge. The embrace is warm and long. Both of you are very thankful for the help and the love you shared in the past days. He promises to send Baine to you and leaves.

In the next days, you get to know the citizens of Theramore a bit closer. You make some friends and… you notice there are not only people affiliated with the Alliance around you. A few orcs, blood elves and tauren trade or live in the city. Some goblins of course try to make money. I can even spot a troll. The concept of a neutral city seems to work. You spot Jaina and Pained having private and joyful conversations. Pained is not only her guard, they become close friends. Oh. One more thing. Because you appreciate the life there, a more or less calm community just the way you wanted it to be after the Third War, you decide to make Theramore your home and settle down inside the city walls."

"Impossible!" Go'el shouts out of surprise.

"Hey. Not so loud," Chromie retorts. "You have to understand your other self. He cannot enter his home in Orgrimmar anymore and needs a place to live. And he got used to his life on the island."

"I am sorry for being so loud," Go'el apologizes. "This Thrall just went a totally different route. Yes, Theramore was a beautiful place but I never thought about living there. He is the true embodiment of neutrality. Something I, admittedly, never was."

"A few days later, Anduin uses his Hearthstone to meet his 'aunt' Jaina. But as you already imagine, this meeting happened earlier in that timeline. He still is shocked by Baine's presence but the young tauren can warm him up quickly. They still become close friends and Anduin still gifts him his mace, Fearbreaker. The other Baine now has two young boys to take care of but he does great."

Go'el grins when Anduin hugs Baine.

"Adding to this, you called for a meeting with other race leaders and Alliance allies the next day. Varian refuses to appear due to the past events. Oh and do not worry. Anduin teleported back the other day. So… what next… The crowd discusses further actions and plans on how to treat the Horde after Garrosh's rise. After a while, you demand everyone to be quiet. You tell them to accept your defeat and that Garrosh was right in challenging your leadership… Go'el?!"

"I can understand Garrosh. He challenged a biased Warchief who, in fact, deceived his race with Jaina."

Chromie lifts her eyebrows. 'Those orcish rules,' she thinks for herself.

"Then you tell everyone to remain calm and to keep an eye on Garrosh. Not to harm him but to help him becoming a good leader. Go'el, in all honesty, you were naïve in both timelines."

He rolls with his eyes without saying anything.

"Is there something else before the Scourge arrive?"

"No. That comes next."

Chromie clears her throat and continues to follow the alternate timeline.

"First things first. Garrosh reaches out for your help. You accept it and make your way to Undercity. Everything else still happens. The Wrathgate disaster where many die. Varian's belief in Horde treachery. Garrosh still travels to Northrend. Varian and you still clash in Undercity."

"I can remember. It saddens me even to this day. That was the confrontation which broke the peace I established with Jaina because Varian could not hold himself back. Please tell me this does not occur there," Go'el ends the sentence and points at the shard.

The gnome lady takes a closer look at the situation.

"It unfortunately does not end well. Varian still is about to fight you. You try to stop him with words but they do not reach him. He charges you and your weapons are about to strike. Jaina freezes you in the last moment. She yells at Varian but also shouts a fierce 'We will talk about that' in your direction before teleporting him and his men out."

"That looks and sounds familiar. The only difference is the sentence by Jaina," Go'el analyses and laments. "So the peace breaks, no matter what I do."

"Varok still solaces you. Knowing that you cannot lead your people anymore, he at least encourages you to protect those you love. You invite him to Theramore to show him a life beyond the Horde, that there is hope in this world. He even thinks about accepting the offer."

"Varok? This is different. His son was more neutral than he is. He never had a problem with humans though. But accepting the alternate Thrall's offer to have a look at a neutral life? I believe he had other things to worry about, after losing his boy."

Chromie points at the shard.

"Garrosh and Varian are about to fight."

"This is the meeting in Dalaran and that Thrall still takes Garrosh with him…" Go'el laments.

"When Jaina appears in front of you to tell you about the events, you should remember, Garrosh surprisingly can hold himself back for a moment. As you ignore her warning to not go further, you remember this scene as well, she grabs your arm."

"Chromie, she never grabbed my arm. I just walked past her without saying anything else… An impolite gesture I admittedly regret. What comes next?"

"She gives you an angry look and whispers 'Do not ignore me, Mr. Proudmoore'.

You whisper back 'Not now, please' and she lets your arm go, preparing to teleport away."

Go'el frowns but accepts her reaction. The timewalker, however, ignores him and continues.

"Varian spots you as you run up the long stairway and gets furious about your presence. You try to reason with Garrosh and him but it is useless. Rebuking Garrosh for his harshness even makes it worse. Both accuse you and Jaina to plot against them. Of course, this is not true. When the heated debate is about to escalate, you get very angry with Varian and shout at him for ignoring everything you and Jaina fought for. When Varian and Garrosh are about to fight, Jaina ends it and teleports Varian and the other Alliance members out once again. Garrosh looks at you, grim but thankful. He silently appreciates your help but at the same time demands you to leave afterwards."

"Horrible," the orc comments. "The result is the same. And the meeting with Tirion?"

"Garrosh still provokes Tirion and fuels his hatred. All while you gratefully accept his invitation and try to talk to him in a respectful way."

"And while I see the alternate Thrall teleporting back to Theramore after that, his wife Jaina will encounter even more despair. This is a nightmare! I wonder how much worse it can get..."


	7. Year 27 Part 2 (WotLK - The Shattering)

**Chapter 7 - Year 27 (WotLK / Shattering) Part 2**

"Speaking of nightmares, after the fall of the Lich King and the death of Arthas, Jaina returns to Theramore tower," the small lady continues. "You are about to go to bed but shortly after you had a wash, the following confrontation results in a heavy marital quarrel."

"The first after two years at least."

"You confront her with the past events. You are very furious about Varian. His disrespectful behaviour towards you, your family and the Horde puts you into a rage. Your voice is very fierce but quiet to not wake Duran up. Jaina has to deal with many questions. Does she realize how Varian ignores their relationship? Does she even see that Varian does not care about her family? Why does he ignore all the peace efforts? Why did he want to see the other Thrall dead? Unable to answer all of them, she feels intimidated by your harsh words and begs you to stop. You force her to talk to Varian and also tell Anduin that his father just broke the peace. A sharp 'Good night' ends the rebuke and he sits down on the bed."

Thrall looks surprised. He has never been so angry with Jaina. His new home changed his alternate self drastically in this regard. However, he can understand his counterpart on the other side of the glass. That Thrall fears his family is threatened by the leader of the Alliance. A man who is consumed by his hatred. A dark attitude Thrall had to deal with many years later, when Theramore was destroyed and Jaina revenged her people in nearly killing him and almost drowning Orgrimmar. He prays for the other Jaina to not go down this dark path.

"Being shocked by your behaviour, Jaina pulls something out of her pocket. It is a small locket… with a picture of her. She focuses it for some time. Only now you notice that her eyes tear up. She just stands there at the window, looks at this very special piece and weeps. No… she mourns."

"I feel sorry for Jaina. Please, show me the scene around us."

 _Thrall stands up and slowly comes closer to the mourning lady._

 _"I know… what this is," he speaks in a very calm and understanding voice. "Jaina… I am so sorry."_

 _Teardrops hit the locket. Only a quiet sobbing can be heard in the room. She looks out the window and whispers to herself._

 _"He kept it… All this time, he still kept it."_

 _"I already heard what happened."_

 _Then he wraps his arms around her but she does not join the embrace. Instead, Jaina keeps holding and starring at the small portrait. Many tears run down her cheek. Only now Thrall's rage becomes compassion._

 _"Forgive me, Jaina. I did not mean to be so rude to you in such difficult times."_

 _He slowly takes her to the bed and sits down with her. But Jaina cannot stop mourning. Her husband is unable to ease her pain. Now he realizes that she still has feelings for Arthas. They lay down, embracing each other. She cries on his shoulders._

 _"He is dead," Jaina weeps._

 _"He was the love of your life. I can understand how you feel."_

 _Jaina affirms him with a kiss. And while she calms down after a while, Thrall cannot hide his emotions any longer. Her kiss touches sad lips._

 _"Do you miss Taretha?"_

 _Thrall nods._

 _"I never really got over her death. She did not deserve to die like this. Slain by a tyrant. And… I could not save her. Not even in my dreams."_

 _After saying these words, he joins her mourning._

 _"My Jaina. I do not want to lose you," he whispers and feels more kisses on his jittering jaw._

 _In this moment, Jaina discovers they both know that grief will forever be a part of their life._

 _The wind freshens up. Raindrops hit the glass from the outside. Even the sky is filled with sadness._

"Some days after this night," Chromie adds, "you leave for Outland and give Jaina time to mourn and reflect. It is that time when the elements turned crazy and you tried to find a solution after they burned the old Grommash Hold in Orgrimmar. Oh, and you still meet your mate, Aggra. Sadly, I can see the tragedy continuing. That Jaina is fine but another friend of yours does not."

Go'el's eyes gape in horror.

"Cairne…"

"Yes, it is Cairne."

"Does he still storm into Grommash Hold, yell at Garrosh and heavily slap his face because he believes Garrosh ordered murdering innocent druids and his childhood friend, Archdruid Hamuul?"

"Go'el… he does," the timewalker confirms with sorrow.

"Even worse," Go'el yells. "He still challenges him to a Mak'gora. CAIRNE!"

"He cannot hear you."

"No… No… Not like this. We have to enter that timeline and help him! Or at least warn the other Thrall before it is too late… Chromie!"

Go'el's body shakes. He fears that his old friend, in the timeline they are spectating, took the same dark path which led to his death.

"Calm down, Go'el. Just keep watching. Eitrigg immediately sends a runner to Outland to inform you. It takes him one day to reach you and bring you to the Dark Portal. Thankfully, you have a Hearthstone with you which teleports you right in front of Theramore tower. Jaina gave it to you before you left, in case you are needed. Within a day, the citizens of your, now, hometown help you to enter Orgrimmar and the hold without being recognized before you confront Garrosh. They help you hiding your trademarks. You wear unusual clothes and painted tattoos on your skin before you leave for Orgrimmar. I believe you even smell differently. And what can I say… Against all odds, your plan is successful. Look, there. The alternate Thrall storms into the hold. I will show you."

 _"Garrosh!" the furious orc yells as he enters the throne room with thundering steps. The Warchief is not able to react before Thrall reaches his seat._

 _"You must be suicidal to come here, Thrall! Guards!"_

 _The former Warchief grabs Garrosh off his throne, throws him against a pillar next to the throne, swings his fist and hits the jaw. Garrosh stumbles and loses balance. His guards surround them and pull their weapons._

 _"Hold your weapons!" the old Eitrigg shouts from behind._

 _With anger, Thrall lifts his successor and pushes him against the wall with one arm at his throat._

 _"Who do you think you are?!" Garrosh grunts, already knowing why Thrall is in a rage. "The old bull came into MY throne room and slapped ME. Why, you might ask? Because of false assumptions! I did NOT order the attack on the druids!"_

 _At that, Thrall presses his thumb into the fresh tattoo on Garrosh's jaw. A short shriek._

 _"Does this hurt as well? You listen to me, now. You will NOT touch Cairne."_

 _Garrosh shows his bloody teeth and laughs spitefully._

 _"Have mercy, Garrosh. You are not stupid. Learn to control yourself. Learn to be a reasonable Warchief. He is old and made a mistake."_

 _"This mistake will cost his life… What did they tell you, human lover? I am the bad guy? Blood and thunder! Cairne is all wrong and he challenged ME to a Mak'gora. Ask him. It is all his fault."_

 _Thrall squeezes Garrosh's throat._

 _"Then let me talk to him to clear his mind. He will listen to me. It is not too late! Garrosh!"_

 _After a few moments of rethinking, Garrosh caves in._

 _"You have one day, Thrall. If that tauren appears in this room tomorrow, you have failed!"_

 _Thrall lets him go and now stands there, surrounded by the guards who once defended him. They all point their hammers, swords and axes in his direction. He looks around and shouts:_

 _"You once fought for honor and respect! Where are your values now?!"_

 _The former Warchief turns around one last time._

 _"I swear to the gods, if you harm him or my family… You will need to solve bigger problems soon. I will not enter this place anymore. We are done here."_

"Can that Thrall at least prevent the fight?" a humble orc asks.

"Yes, you can. The next zeppelin to Thunder Bluff is yours. Cairne is beside himself with rage. He yells at you because he does not have a clear sight in his desperate condition. You try to reason with your old friend and explain what really happened. He stomps and rumbles and shakes in anger. The dispute goes on for a while but ultimately, you can calm him down. The old bull apologizes for his rudeness towards you and sits down on his log.

But then, Cairne raises his hand and expressly warns you of Garrosh's progressing madness. He tells you about his behaviour and how ruthless he treats his people and the Horde as a whole. You, however, listen to his advice and warning but remain silent about this, in Cairne's eyes, very urgent issue. Yes, the deadly fight does not happen. Still, an earthquake heralds the coming Cataclysm."

Go'el takes a deep breath of relief. Losing his dear friend to the fury of Garrosh was one of the worst things ever happened to him. However, Chromie does not look satisfied. She hesitates to go on. The small timewalker loses her face in the moment she realizes something is not right. She lifts her head, her eyes shocked.

"You… have to be very strong now, Go'el. Two months later, Cairne suddenly does not feel well anymore. On a calm evening, he feels weak and goes to bed early. The next day, he feels ill. Very ill. Everyone around him is concerned about his wellbeing. Baine fears for him and calls you and your family later that day. Go'el… he is dying."

"Let us get it over with," a visibly shocked Go'el demands and hopes that the scene will not last long.

"In the afternoon, his family is around him. You even took Duran with you. There he lies, on a bed. His lips are chapped and his breathing is laborious. My dear Go'el… you should see this by yourself."

 _"Grandpa, not good?" the little Duran asks._

 _Cairne slowly twists his head and looks in the curious but sad eyes of his surrogate grandson._

 _"My precious Duran. Grandpa will be fine soon," he replies with a faint voice and gives him a smile._

 _"Hamuul?" Baine asks his father's childhood friend. "Would you…?"_

 _He agrees._

 _"Duran, do you want to take a walk with uncle Hamuul? You can ride on my mane. Come," the tauren says with hidden grief, gently grabs the boy's hand and takes him outside._

 _Thrall sits on his side and holds his hand._

 _"My dear family. I am honored and moved to have you around," Cairne speaks. "Do not despair. I, for one, lived a long life. The last years were the best I had. Thanks to you, Thrall."_

 _Cairne gently caresses his cheek and wipes away some tears._

 _"But also to you, my beloved son. I am very proud of you. And Jaina… my Jaina. Please, come closer."_

 _As she steps forward, she looks into the saddest Thrall she has ever seen. Baine stands on the other side of the bed and hides his faces in looking to the ceiling._

 _"You all showed me that my life was not worthless. My lifework is completed. When I look to you, I know that my fight for honor and peace was not for nothing. Promise me to follow in my footsteps."_

 _"Yes, grandpa," Jaina confirms with a low voice, "we will take over your legacy. To make you proud."_

 _The old bull chuckles._

 _"Jaina… I am very proud of you already. Uphold your unusual love and this unusual family. Baine…"_

 _Cairne turns his head around and looks in the sad eyes of his son._

 _"Keep fighting for what is right. So that, one day, this world will see harmony."_

 _Baine is unable to reply but he nods and touches his father's arm. Suddenly, Cairne's breathing becomes shallow. He puts his head straight and looks at his family once more._

 _"The Earthmother will guide you in my stead. Baine… Jaina… Thrall… I am so grateful for the love you shared with me. Be a good family."_

 _"I love you so much, Cairne. I will never forget what you did for me," Thrall confesses. His face is drenched in tears. Even Baine, who fought against them all the time, is overwhelmed with emotion._

 _"Baine…" Cairne calls and gives him a nearly unrecognizable nod._

 _His son walks around the bed and gently touches Thrall, silently demanding them to leave._

 _"Cairne, no!" Thrall begs._

 _"Come. I will be with you," Jaina encourages him and grabs his hand which still holds Cairne's. With a heavy heart, she takes her shaking husband outside._

 _"My son. Guide your people into a bright future. Protect your family with your life. Take good care of Duran... Baine… The ancestors call for me..."_

 _Jaina and Thrall sit on a log outside. They hold each other's hand and stare at the tent. After endless minutes, Baine comes outside. He stands there, with an empty view. His face is blushed. They jump up and quickly close the gap to him. Now they can see his face. Baine, jittering all over his body, stares at the distant and silently cries. He turns his head around and squints his eyes. Thrall falls to his knees. He breaks out in tears when he realizes that the closest and most precious friend he ever had in his life just passed away. Baine hears unbearable weeping and feels a desperate but warm embrace around his thighs. He kneels down and mourns with his family._

"The next day, a funeral is held to honor Cairne. Everyone is there. The location is crowded. You and Jaina stand in front of him and touch his now peaceful brow. Your face is filled with emotion once more. After Hamuul's speech, you embrace your late friend one last time to bid him farewell-"

Some drops hit the shard. Silent sobbing. Knowing how shattering Cairne's loss was for Go'el, she puts the glass aside and takes his hands in this difficult moment.

"Oh Go'el… Shall we take a break?"

He nods without saying a word and stands up, taking a short walk through the marsh.


	8. Year 28 (The Shattering Cataclysm)

**Chapter 8 - Year 28 (Shattering / Cata)**

Chromie, who feels like retelling Go'el's entire life, accompanies him and mindfully listens as he tells her about Cairne, their visits and how he was like. An hour passes. The clouds get lighter when they approach their initial meeting point again.

"Do you feel better?" she worries about his mental state. The refreshed looking orc nods and takes his seat again.

"I must apologize," he says. "Now I still had to take a break. My heart was heavy, even after all these years. When Cairne died, a part of me died with him. Never in my life will I forget his wisdom and wonderful humor."

"I feel with you, Go'el. But our journey through the alternate timeline does not come to an end yet. And I have some positive events for you first."

"Aggra is dating me?"

"No," Chromie laughs, "that will come later. For now, let us have a look at Thunder Bluff again. Right there. Baine and his workers mount a totem in the center of the city. It was Jaina's plea and the tauren answered it. The totem is dedicated to Cairne and a meeting place for travellers across the continent to mourn, to show respect, to honor him. Uh… how did Baine feel after becoming the leader of the tauren? Was he satisfied?"

Go'el thinks for a moment. The events in Thunder Bluff were no part of his own life.

"As far as I remember… He escaped to Theramore and begged Jaina for help in our timeline because his father's archenemy raided his city and killed many of his people. Apart from that, he clashed with Garrosh but in the end helped and obeyed him. His people even were about to leave the Horde due to heavy dissatisfaction. Baine felt uneasy first. This is what he told me."

"Oh… interesting. That Baine does better. He is supported by his and by most neutral people. Hamuul, his father's friend and a powerful druid, becomes his representative. And look right there, Duran is with him on one of the following evenings. He even sleeps in his tent. The young tauren is a great uncle. But… I fear that there is a reason for his stay in Thunder Bluff. Let us quickly move to Theramore."

"Stop," Go'el calls. "Do you see that? The highway leading from Theramore to the, soon, Southern Barrens is still under construction. That brings me to the point. The Cataclysm should come very soon."

"Are you sure? The next important thing I can see is another conflict with Jaina."

"That is new again. What is the subject this time?"

Chromie throws her hands up when she hears the first arguments by the alternate Thrall.

"The highway, of course. Not only that but also the rise of Garrosh and his recent actions. Have a look."

 _Now they stand in the center of their private area. Jaina sits on her working chair, while Thrall walks back and forth, wildly waving with his hands and having an angry mien in his face._

 _"What is this out there, Jaina?!" Thrall shouts at her and points at the window facing the highway._

 _"More and more military in the streets, a highway leading directly through the heart of Horde territory, Northwatch Hold on the brink of a heavy war deployment! Where is your neutrality? Are you still neutral or have you switched sides now? DECIDE!"_

 _"What shall I do?!" she loudly retorts. "Garrosh invades Ashenvale and threatens everyone who is not entirely on his Horde side. They need help and supplies. His people, no, YOUR people, invade this marsh and fly the flag of the Horde. As for Northwatch… this is more Varian's doing than my decisions but they still need supplies."_

 _A contemptuous groan by Thrall._

 _"You help the man who declared war only some months ago, Jaina! I am not blind. Those caravans do not only deliver food and aid. Weapons and armor everywhere."_

 _Jaina dismissively waves with her hand._

 _"Your successor provokes this war!" she shouts. "You say you are not blind but lately you have a blind spot for this orc or any other orc who broke the law here in Theramore!"_

 _"And your actions will provoke him further! Jaina, wake up! You are making yourself guilty. Do you want that?! This highway is dangerous the way it is used currently."_

 _Thrall points at her._

 _"If this leads to an escalation, I will take Duran to a safe place and take care of him alone!"_

 _Jaina feels dismayed by this harsh statement and closes her eyes._

 _"You promised Cairne to be good!" he yells with a shattered tone and recurring memories in his mind._

 _Shocked by those words, she realizes her husband listened to their past conversation at his sickbed. Jaina notices his jittering jaw for a little while as he reminds her of his late friend's loving words._

 _"Then talk to your people. To at least avert the danger coming from their presence in this area."_

 _After a short break, Thrall nods with his head and ends the discussion._

 _"You know that I will not be here for a while. The elements call for me. The city's safety lies in your hands now. The Horde in the marshes will not touch you. I will talk to them on my way to Ratchet. Horrifying events await us… but if I do not see reforms when I come back, those events will shatter our relationship. And I do not wish that to happen. Farewall, Jaina."_

 _Thrall walks down the wooden stairs. Shortly before he leaves the tower, he bumps into Pained. Their eyes meet._

 _"Pained… I suppose you heard everything."_

 _She puts her arms akimbo and nods while he explains the situation._

 _"She still does not deserve the way you and the Horde treat her. She is not stupid and she is not blind," Jaina's personal guard sharply retorts._

 _"I know," the sad orc confesses. "Listen to me. I love Jaina. I love Duran. I always will. They are my family. But she has to do something. War seems to be inevitable but you have to prevent it from reaching this island. I cannot speak for the Horde anymore and Garrosh will not listen to me."_

 _"Thrall, I hear you," she comforts him. "We will find a solution. Go now. I will talk to your wife."_

"The next day arrives and the Cataclysm happens," Chromie ends this scene. "Earth shakes, ground breaks, tsunamis flood the land. The alternate Baine vanishes the fear in Duran's eyes in playfully distracting the boy.

Everything I tell you now are events Thrall only hears afterwards because he already was on his way. You can decide now. Do you want to see what happens with Jaina or him first?"

"Does his experience differ from mine?"

"A bit. Jaina's experience, however, looks very different from what I can see."

"Yes," Go'el remembers. "I can see… The corrupt Grimtotem tribe did not raid Thunder Bluff yet. But look right there. Look at how Baine cares for his people. Chromie, please show me Jaina's and Baine's alternate time during the Cataclysm first. Would you be so kind?"

"As you wish. Let us dive into the scene," Chromie replies.

"Let me see what we have here… The zeppelin route to Orgrimmar is closed now. Two weeks after your departure, Baine visits his friends in Bloodhoof Village, in southern Mulgore. He then makes his way to the Southern Barrens to meet his people in Camp Taurajo. Go'el… you know how this ended in our timeline. The camp was firebombed and destroyed. It is different there. When Baine is on the road leading to the future Great Gate, two tauren run down the path and confront their leader. 'Chief, you have to come quickly,' they yell desperately. 'The Alliance surrounds the camp.' Surprised by the shocking report, he accompanies the distressed tauren.

When he spots the Alliance troops at the camp and the huge cannons coming closer to Mulgore, he gets furious. Baine runs to a horse and grabs the human soldier to the ground. The man screams in panic as he looks right into the big totem above his head.

'You will now stop this action and explain everything!' Baine shouts and piles his totem into the ground.

'Do not come closer to Mulgore or touch any tauren,' he adds.

The soldier, apparently the leader of the troops, tries to reason with the chieftain. After a short crisis talk, they agree to give Baine time until sunset to solve the conflict, otherwise they will destroy the camp and kill every remaining tauren inside. He immediately rushes to Theramore."

"And again, it is Jaina who has to deal with a conflict," Go'el comments. "The longer I look at this alternate timeline, the more I can understand her despair. It is good to see this with my own eyes instead of hearing it from other people."

Chromie nods in agreement.

"Yes, poor Jaina. She constantly is involved into all sorts of crises. The situation gets worse again. Baine storms into the city, passing the guards with an angry face and jumping up the stairs. Pained just walks downstairs with Duran to guide him to the city's nursery teacher. The bull does not even calm down when the boy asks why he looks so angry.

'I need to talk to your mother,' is the only sentence he replies and then he enters Jaina's private floor. Go'el… he believes Jaina ordered the attack."  
"He really looks outraged in that moment. But before he starts to rebuke Jaina, please project the scene around me if you can. I want to know what they discuss."

 _After explaining the situation in the Southern Barrens, Baine is still angry with Jaina. He slowly comes closer to the lady who stands in front of the chimney on her private floor._

 _"I do not need to remind you of your proclaimed neutrality, Jaina! You ordered an attack on my people, your own family! I am a part of this family, I like you all but you went too far! You know that we tauren do not harm any human unless we are threatened! You visited the camp. There is nothing threatening inside. No war machines. Only hunters. There are children in this camp, Jaina!"_

 _Shocked by those accusations, the lady shakes her head and holds her hands in front of her body as Baine still comes even closer with stomping steps._

 _"I swear to you I did not order any attack. Yes, I support the Alliance in the Barrens and in Ashenvale because Garrosh attacked the night elves and invades the marshes. Yes, those are my men. However, I never allowed an attack on your people. Maybe it is Varian who did all this."_

 _Even after these words, Baine cannot calm down. Now he stands right in front of Jaina and puts his hands over her head, pressing them against the chimney._

 _"Like I said. I am not to blame in this conflict. Baine… You scare me."_

 _"I scare you? Oh no, your actions scare my people and I will not accept this. Listen to me carefully! If this day and the siege of Mulgore ends disastrous for my people, I will end this friendship and my part in this family!" he shouts and swings his fist. Jaina screams and protects her head. Baine hits and shatters a frame hanging on the chimney. He roars and fitfully makes his way down the tower._

"In this moment," Chromie continues, "Jaina holds the shattered frame in her hands and cowers on the floor. Oh look, this is so sad. That image is a drawing of you and her in your wedding dresses. She looks at it for a while and then needs to cry. Feeling cornered by everyone around her, by you, by Baine, by Varian, the helplessness and the despair are too much for her. Baine runs into Pained as he walks downstairs, just as your other self did before. She confirms that they have nothing to do with the planned attack on the tauren camp and shouts at him for scaring both Jaina and Duran. Pained talks him down from his rage and asks him to go upstairs again and solve the conflict with Jaina, together. He obeys for the sake of his inner peace."

 _"I must apologize. I did not want to make you cry, Jaina." Baine regrets, kneels down and hugs her._

"Jaina explains her difficult situation, her argument with Thrall before he left and that she feels to be caught between two stools. The mollified bull understands her but demands an immediate solution as the time is not on his side. They agree to teleport to Stormwind Keep and try to convince Varian in helping them to end the conflict."

"Baine and Jaina travel to Varian? One could not reason with that man back then," Go'el remembers.

"Just wait and see," Chromie says. "Varian indeed confesses that he ordered military operations in the Southern Barrens. When Baine seems to get angry, Varian, however, denies that he ordered an attack on tauren. The bull asks the king to retreat immediately from the Barrens to mend the conflict. After being told that the Alliance will not leave the Barrens, Baine und Jaina teleport back to Theramore. Both look disheartened by the refused help. Then he looks into her eyes and lifts his mace, Fearbreaker."

 _"For me, this is your last chance, Jaina. Decide where your loyalties lie. The Alliance… or your family."_

"Jaina closes her eyes and shakes her head, as if she shakes off her loyalty to the Alliance. Without more words, they both travel to Camp Taurajo. The sun is setting and Baine seems to get more nervous with every passed minute. When they arrive there, some Alliance members already corner tauren families, Jaina speaks for everyone and demands an explanation. Her men tell her everything about the operation. And then… the lady of Theramore believes in her neutrality and orders an immediate retreat.

Baine looks surprised as the Alliance forces slowly make their way. The big bull looks at Jaina and tells her how he will proceed from now on. He decides to evacuate and abandon the camp. At that, the Great Gate will still be built in the following weeks. However, Baine is still angry with Jaina."

 _"From now on, I will not accept any Alliance race in tauren territory anymore. If I ever change my mind, they are only allowed to visit Thunder Bluff via zeppelin. Jaina, listen," he turns around and raises his index finger. "I will be angry with you until this conflict is solved. Fine, lay siege to Mulgore as much as you want. However, as long as my people are not save, I will not take care of Duran anymore and I will not answer any of your calls. This is Pained's task now."_

"Baine leaves a speechless Jaina behind. However, he cannot make his way back to Thunder Bluff before chaos erupts in the city. And now guess who causes it," Chromie indirectly asks.

Go'el rolls with his eyes, already knowing what happens next.

"Magatha Grimtotem. The tauren lady who betrayed Cairne in poisoning Garrosh's weapon for the Mak'gora. Which led to his death."

"You got it. The attack on Thunder Bluff happens now. Not in the middle of the night but in the late evening. Magatha uses Baine's absense to take over the city. The fight goes on and it feels like it progresses familiar to what we experienced in our timeline. Magatha still takes over the city, still kills countless families. Baine still can make it to Elder Rise and knocks his enemy to the ground. Wait… look at that. On top of the bluffs. When Baine finds out that Magatha poisoned Cairne's food the day before he died, the chieftain roars as bitterly as never before. I have never seen an angrier Baine. He does not show mercy. In the second Magatha is on her hooves again, he grabs the corrupt tauren lady, dashes towards the cliffs, roars once again and throws her down the rocks. A loud cry. The steep fall ends Magatha's life and the riot."

"What does Jaina do after this disheartening day?" Go'el asks.

"She returns to Pained and has a long conversation until far into the night. Jaina sadly admits that you and Baine were right. In the following weeks, Jaina orders Northwatch Hold to become a neutral trading post. The highway is used to support both Alliance and Horde forces, as the other Thrall wished, with foods and medical aid. And that… is everything important for them in this alternate year of the Cataclysm. Apart from that, Vol'jin still gets angrier with Garrosh, focuses on his people on the Echo Isles and visits or meets Jaina twice to look after her and the boy."

"That means," Go'el guesses correctly, "we will now look at my other self. Give me a second… I still expand my activities as a shaman and travel to the Firelands?"

"Yes, you do," Chromie confirms.

Go'el leads his fingers to his brow.

"And… Aggra still accompanies me?"

"She still does and she still does not like you that much first."

Both giggle as they look into the alternate Aggra's face. Grim, not too pleased by Thrall at first. He remembers this time very well. It took them some weeks, maybe even months to eventually feel love.

"I see my essence split into emotions. That happened in our timeline as well. Aggra still helps him in this situation and after he is restored… Aggra kisses him. This is nearly identical. I hope this does not lead to yet another conflict with Jaina."

Chromie frowns, so does the orc.

"You at least look puzzled. After that one kiss, the eyes meet. A long, analyzing view. You feel irritated but accept your birth name, Go'el. However, all of the sudden, you look concerned. 'I feel we are connected in some way', you say to her, 'but I have a wife and a boy at home and I desperately desire to return.' And you tell her about your unusual family which is unbound by origin, race and culture. She likes it very much and decides to remain good friends with you and to one day visit Jaina and your boy. The kiss did not initiate the romance like in our timeline."

"One day later there should be… Chromie, what are you doing?" Go'el asks begrudged. The timewalker fast forwards the events beyond the shard and grins spitefully.

"Boring, boring, boring. You still fight the dragon Chromatus, Rehgar still helps you and you still enter the time portal to relive the death of your parents, the fight with the alternate Blackmoore still happens… Oh, I just want to find the next interesting point in time… Found it. This looks exciting. Your fight against Deathwing still happens and you are still accompanied by the blue dragonflight, including Kalec."

"He is Jaina's future lover. It will indeed be interesting to see how he behaves and develops, with Jaina on the other Thrall's side. Anyway, it looks like we are already in the temple. That all looks familiar so far. I carry the Dragon Soul and Deathwing still challenges us. But… something does not feel right. I do not know what it is. That Thrall does not stand in the same position and somehow feels different from what I can see."

A glare shines through the shard and enlightens the faces of the two spectators.

"There… The first shot," Go'el continues. "It seems to work just as it did for me. And still… I can sense a difference. Oh! The second shot. I still cannot see what it is… Chromie, can you… wait, the other Thrall missed his heart and fights him on the ground! I never shot a third time!"

"Hold on…"

 _Deathwing emerges one last time. Thrall now stands there and fires the third shot at the black dragon who once shattered the earth and threatened the people in Azeroth. He aims and shoots. The shot pierce the evil dragon's head, the beast seems to take his dying breath. The blue dragon Kalec notices something is not right. While the beast still dies and falls down into the Maelstrom, the beam coming from the Dragon Soul does not fade._

"This is what I felt," the watching orc interjects, "that Thrall is not entirely prepared, he seems to be distracted by something. Maybe by memories of his family. The Dragon Soul seems so much heavier in his hands compared to how I felt with it. And-"

 _"Watch out!" Kalec shouts._

 _The beam backfires and hits Thrall with full force before it vanishes. He loses balance, stumbling some steps backwards. His breathing arrests. Thrall leads his finger to his nose, feeling the blood running down. His eyes roll back. The massive body tilts forwards and crashes into the ground. His sight fades. The dragons immediately tend to him. Kalec turns the lifeless body around and begins to reanimate the orc who just saved the world. The red dragon Alexstrasza, the life-binder, uses her fading powers to heal Thrall from the fatal punch._

 _"You will not die today!" Kalec shouts at the lifeless orc. "Your family needs you!"_

 _Many seconds pass with no effect. The dragons try everything to make Thrall regain consciousness. But then his empty eyes fill with life again. A heavy, reviving gasp. Thrall looks around and sees the dragons surrounding him. In the next moment, Aggra makes her way to him. She hugs him and kisses his dry lips. Weakened by the strike and the lifeless seconds, the orc smiles at her and then turns his head to Kalec._

 _"My friend," he calmly speaks with a whispering voice, "is he gone?"_

 _Kalec nods and slaps him on his massive shoulder._

 _"Yes, Go'el. The Cataclysm is over. The world is safe again, thanks to you."_

 _"Go'el…," he sums up, "this name caused even more trouble than the one the humans gave me. Call me whatever you want. I do not care anymore."_

 _"Can we do something for you, Go'el?" a worried Aggra asks while taking his hand._

 _"Yes, Aggra. Stay the way you are," he says and turns his head to glance at the man with the blue hair again._

 _"I miss my family. Tell them that I am fine. Tell them about what happened here. Kalec, please fly to Theramore and deliver this message to my little girl, Jaina. Tell her I will come home soon and that I love her with every beat of my heart. But… never tell her that I was dead for a minute."_

"And so," Chromie concludes, "Kalec gets to know Jaina in that timeline. They become friends and she calls him 'big brother' because he somehow sees himself as her protector when you are not around. However, and this is what you were waiting for, he tells her that he promised Thrall to not fall in love with her and to do everything to uphold your relationship. Kalec encourages Jaina to see the good in Thrall, just like Cairne did over two years ago."

"So Thrall and Jaina do not break up, even after he did not see his family for nearly two years?" Thrall asks to once again confirm his believe in their love.

"No. You miss each other very much. And even before the world is completely healed, you announce your retirement from your work as a shaman due to the nearly fatal experience. You feel honored but refuse to take the leading position of the Earthen Ring. Instead, you travel home and reunite with Jaina and your boy. She is giddy with pleasure when you embrace her after such a long time away from home. You see the highway now supporting both sides, with no weaponry besides defense. It makes you feel glad and thankful. In the next months, you visit Theramore multiple times until your duty within the Earthen Ring, healing the world, is completed."

The scene fades and Thrall lifts his head, not without looking surprised once more.

"He was dead... leaves the Earthen Ring soon… does not fully accept his real name… his Aggra is not pregnant… Those are major differences. I wonder what will come next and how much that timeline continues to differ from ours..."


	9. Year 30 Part 1 (Mists of Pandaria)

**Chapter 9 - Year 30 (MoP) Part 1**

Chromie nods as she recognizes the point of time they enter now. The small lady frowns.

"We come to a very important but terrifying year. And I do not need to remind you how it started."

After finishing the sentence, she turns her head towards the destroyed island of Theramore. The purple gloom distracts the steadily clearing sky above the sea.

"The year Jaina became my enemy," a visibly saddened Go'el adds with fear in his voice.

"Go'el… the events in the alternate timeline are not pleasant as well. Shall we begin?"

"Yes, let us begin. But first I would like to know how Garrosh behaved while I, I mean the other Thrall was separated from his family."

"Unfortuantely, I do not see major differences," Chromie replies. "He still wages war against the Alliance, Baine and Vol'jin are still dissatisfied with his rule. Thankfully, the political and economic problems prevent him from harming your family. Durotar still suffers from a heavy drought and he still prepares his next move. To my surprise, Garrosh's men still can steal the Focussing Iris, the instrument which fueled the mana bomb. The bomb which destroyed Theramore."

"Chromie… Only some hours ago you promised me that Thrall and his family will be fine. Now you are telling me that all the events still happen?"

The gnome lady looks as concerned as Go'el.

"Patience, my dear Go'el. Yes, he plans the attacks but the goblins and the blood elves in the other timeline are not entirely on his side. Due to Theramore's neutrality, the differently used highway and the profitable business, they at least do not wish the isle to be destroyed."

The big orc sighs in relief and takes a second to clear his head before looking down through the shard. Only to be shocked again. He now spots a small castle which looks very familiar.

"The Northwatch raid. It still happens. But why? Is it not neutral by now? Has Thrall's admonition not seen any effect yet?"

"Northwatch has become a trading outpost after you forced Jaina to do something. But as you know, Garrosh does not care about the Alliance and their business. And you also know he does not care about neutrality. He raids the hold because he wants the humans and the Alliance to leave Kalimdor – the motives are the same, even with a neutral Northwatch."

Go'el sighs again as he remembers the trouble Garrosh caused during his time as the Warchief. Then he watches the events of the other timeline closely.

"I can see Garrosh, his guards, some trolls, some tauren… Baine and Vol'jin?! I do not understand this. Why?"

"Those are the rules, your rules, Go'el. Everyone needs to obey the Warchief's command and both tauren and trolls are a minority. And Baine wants to teach Jaina a lesson in raiding one of her places after the humans attacked Camp Taurajo. Still, look into the faces of your friends. At least, they seem to be desperate in this timeline. Baine very often looks to Vol'jin. A silent cry for help. Vol'jin gives him a sad view. But then… the raid begins.

Dozens of soldiers lose their lives. Even innocent citizens are among the deceased. Baine tries his best to avoid unnecessary casualties but is unable to save more than a hand full of humans. After a while, the combatants notice there is no weaponry inside the hold besides defense. Most human soldiers were nothing but guards. The outpost did not participate in the war anymore. The tauren chief immediately orders his men to retreat and tells Garrosh that he will end no more innocent lives. The Warchief seems to agree and lets him go. Baine feels guilty and ashamed by his own role. He orders his scout Perith to deliver his mace Fearbreaker to Theramore. To give it back to his rightful owner Anduin and to tell Jaina what happened. Poor Baine. Do you see the horror in his eyes while leaving Northwatch Hold? He regrets his 'lesson' and never wants to enter Theramore again."

To Go'el's surprise, the alternate Garrosh neither presses the attack nor waits for the Alliance forces to gather in Jaina's home. Instead, he also retreats and goes back to Orgrimmar.

"No mana bomb, no destruction," Chromie notes, "but when you come back home one week later, Jaina is not pleased at all. She is very angry with you and the Horde."

"Another conflict between Jaina and Thrall. That is the third one so far. Let us see how this ends."

 _"Do you even see what he is doing?!" an upset Jaina loudly asks her husband. They both stand in their private area inside the tower. The cloudy sky casts dim light inside the stony walls. The lady stands in front of her chimney and has to deal with a personal conflict once more._

 _She angrily confronts Thrall._

 _"Don't you see that Garrosh pushes this all-out war even further? The tensions between him and the rest of the world are glaring. Thrall, I have had enough of your inactivity! You have been watching him for years now. For too long. Face the truth, he will never change! And now he comes closer every day. Northwatch was just the beginning. Soon, he will assault MY home. What will you do then? Still turning your back on me?"_

 _"I would never ignore my family. You should know that," the surprised orc replies._

 _"But this is what you do!" she shouts. "Do something! Do something against Garrosh! Stop your people once and for all! For your family."_

 _"I cannot, Jaina. Garrosh is the leader of the Horde. Therefore, he is the Horde. I cannot control my people anymore and I cannot control him. You know that."_

 _"Forget about your god damn ancient Horde rules!"_

 _Thrall's face drops by those harsh words but he continues to listen._

 _"The orcs listen to you. I am just a human lady. They would never accept my guidance. Aside from the few dozen who decided to be neutral and live in my city. But you, Thrall Proudmoore, are an orc. Therefore, I demand you to finally do something!"_

 _Thrall throws his hands up._

 _"The world is not entirely healed yet. I have more important business to-"_

 _"Stop it!" she shouts with a dark mien. "Hold your tongue. I am tired of your excuses."_

 _Jaina lifts her finger and comes closer._

 _"I swear to the gods… If Garrosh harms me, Duran or any of my people, I will move to Dalaran and you will never see us again."_

 _Jaina ends the confrontation and storms past him. But then he quickly turns around._

 _"Jaina, please stay…" a dumbfounded Thrall begs._

 _He grabs her arm and holds it tight. Too tight in the heat of the moment. She turns around and strikes him with a resounding slap._

 _"Jaina…," the deeply shocked orc begs and holds his hurting cheek._

 _Her eyes fill with tears._

 _"Why do I always have to compromise?" she cries in despair and anger. "Why am I the one who always has to suffer? Why do you always make me cry? Why do I always have to cave in? Because I am the human? Because you want to be in a nice position again? I gave everything for you and you never moved a finger when I really needed you! You do not respect me! This was all a mistake. This is…," she stops and pulls the wedding ring off._

 _Jaina throws it to the floor, causing it to bounce while she quickly leaves the tower and also leaves a disheartened Thrall behind._

The spectating orc feels desperate after this scene. Jaina's love for his alternate self seems to have faded. They are on the brink of breaking up. Unbelievingly, he stares at his blushed cheek.

"She beat him… and she is right," the orc sadly admits while turning his head to the ruins. "We, I, waited for too long. And now this place is uninhabitable."

"We are not done yet. One week later, Jaina travels to Thunder Bluff to take Baine to task. Remember the argument with him in her tower? This situation is very similar, only vice versa and in his tent. A long discussion filled with anger and accusations. She really has to control herself to not punch him in his face and as a result make him kill her."

 _"What is wrong with you, Baine?! You once wanted to beat me when humans attacked your people. You are not better than them. How can I ever trust you again?"_

"To show you only a fraction of this conflict. First, he repels her because he regrets his doings and still feels ashamed. Jaina, on the other hand, refuses to leave Duran with him ever again. Baine feels very uneasy and tries to flee. In the middle of the dispute, he begs her to stop, walks away and summons a spirit… It is his father's spirit."

 _"Father, I disappointed you and my family. Guide me. Tell me what to do..." he calls. Memories of his misdeeds choke him._

"Afterwards, Jaina talks to him for a while and, later that day, he wholeheartedly apologizes for his part in the attack. She acknowledges his regret. Soon later, she does not only forgive him, she also thanks him for his efforts to prevent even more bloodshed in Northwatch. They agree to renew their relationship. In the evening, Jaina decides that Duran stays with Baine for two days to show her she can trust him again. That… actually is good because Garrosh did not forget about his plans. He might not have the goblin on his side but the orcs."

Go'el looks up to question the upcoming situation.

"The attack on Theramore isle still happens! Was there no way to avoid this?"

"Unfortunately not," Chromie replies with a concerned voice, "and it gets even worse. The attack aims for you and Jaina. Let us have a look. Do you see yourself in the tower? You sadly prepare to move away from Theramore. Jaina is down on the streets to avoid you. First, you hear screams and swords outside the city's walls. But then, you notice something covering the sun for a moment. When you turn around, you see the approaching evil. A group of five flying bombers. You jump up from your chair and open the window in one fell swoop. You yell as loud as you can."

 _"Assault! Everyone take cover! Run! … Jaina! TAKE COVER!"_

"She tries to summon a barrier but it is too late. The bombs fall and explode. One hits the ground near Jaina. You want to run down to her. The impacts come closer and then… One hits the tower even before you reach the stairs. The impact lifts you off the ground. You hit it hard with your head. Parts of the tower collapse. Everything feels numb. After moments of unconsciousness, you stand up again. Dazzled, you stagger outside to find Jaina. The dust in your lungs makes you cough. You arrive at the streets and cannot believe your eyes. Severely injured and dead bodies everywhere. Burning huts and screaming children. You make your way around the tower, avoiding the big stones which litter the ground, and finally find Jaina next to a fragmented market stand."

 _"No… No… Please not," Thrall laments while running to her, fearing the worst. Then he kneels in front of the motionless body. With eyes wide open, his hand slips beneath her head._

 _"My Jaina…"_

 _He softly turns her around and holds her body. As he touches the bleeding wounds, a twitch runs through her body. She lives. Badly wounded and unconscious, but she lives. Thrall embraces her wholeheartedly. His sight blurs as he kisses her._

 _"I am sorry, Jaina," he wails. "This is all my fault. Forgive me."_

 _Never in his life has he expected such an attack on his family. He regrets his passivity and his past ignorance. Overwhelmed by his emotions, he blames himself for everything._

 _The crying becomes rage for a moment._

 _"Garrosh will pay for this," he growls. "You were right. He needs to be stopped. I will kill him."_

 _He looks around and sees hectic people helping each other. His hand lifts, the sky clouds up and the summoned rain helps extinguish the fires. But then, helplessness prevails. The rain covers the tears running down his face._

 _"Help!" Thrall desperately calls in agony. "Somebody please help me."_

"The local medic," Chromie adds, "and the approaching Kalec hurry towards you and carry Jaina away. You spot the papers lying on the floor. The bombers dropped them shortly after the bombs. A short message to the humans in Theramore. An order to leave the continent with all its neutral citizens. A warning. But this is not enough. We have trouble in Thunder Bluff as well."

"Duran!" Go'el expresses.

"Yes, it is Duran. While Baine cares for him, one of his guards gets shot in the back. Garrosh's men. He sent assassins to make sure Baine and Duran will not survive this day. A band of warriors try to reach the bull and your boy. More tauren guards die during this attack but Duran is safe. And look who watches the chaos from afar. Malkorok, Garrosh's bodyguard. He orchestrated everything."

Go'el cannot believe that the alternate Garrosh is even more ruthless and initiated a personal vendetta.

"What does the other Thrall do now?"

"Let me see. His Jaina does not even look in his direction anymore. They have not talked for days. She cannot accept that Thrall threatens the life of their son in still staying calm and not killing Garrosh and therefore being indirectly responsible for the attack in Thunder Bluff. However, he indeed begins to plan an assault on Garrosh. Your alternate self calls every race leader from the Horde to plan further actions. Baine is with you, breaking his mental barrier as he travels to Theramore again. Vol'jin accompanies him. Varian does not appear but one of his advisors does. You all agree to keep an eye on Garrosh during the upcoming expedition. And you know what they will discover."

The big orc knowingly nods.

"The continent of Pandaria. One of the most beautiful places I have seen in my life."

"And the escalation begins," Chromie cynically starts showing the events. "Garrosh still causes every single problem on the continent. Vol'jin still tells the travellers to have an eye on Baine as he fears for his life. But Vol'jin… Garrosh still orders his assassination and the troll manages to barely survive. The pandaren people still help your friend to recover and he still meets the human hunter, Tyrathan. However, he is a bit nicer to the human in that timeline. They become friends after a while. When messengers approach you in the streets of Theramore, telling you what happened, you immediately come with them. You use a Hearthstone to teleport to Vol'jin."

"And the dark memories are still present," Go'el adds. "But wait… something is different. I talk to the human and shake his hand. I seem to thank him for his kind help. Other than that, the scene looks very familiar but yet again, the dialoque is different."

 _Vol'jin lies on his back. The wound which poisoned his body looks bad, his face is pale. He turns his head to Thrall, still weakened, and reaches out for his friend's hand._

 _"Come closer, mon. Tell ol' Vol'jin... How be Jaina doin'?"_

 _The orc makes a step towards the wounded troll and takes his hand. Sad memories cover his mind._

 _"Her physical wounds are healing well but I fear she will leave me very soon. Jaina has not talked to me in weeks and she does not wear our ring anymore. She is very angry with me. With us, the Horde. I believe she hates me now."_

 _Vol'jin raises his eye brows and, to Thrall's surprise, reproves him._

 _"Honestly, mon. Jur wife be right in bein' angry wit ya. Horde be family an' family needs ta be protected. Ju did not protect jurs when Garrosh an' Malkorok turned crazy. Listen ta me, mon. When ju go back ta her, stop bein' so passive an' help her. Et be jur turn now, Go'el. An' ours."_

"We are still on Pandaria and I can see that Anduin is in trouble. He confronts Garrosh."

Chromie's breath caught.

"He still gets crushed underneath the fragments of the destroyed Divine Bell. But look. Only the lower half of his body is crushed. Still, the prince is brought to his father. Varian immediately calls for Velen and promises to end Garrosh's reign. The young prince once again pleads his father to not hate the entire Horde, having his past meetings with Thrall and Baine in mind."

Go'el has to smile.

"Anduin has a good heart. That is why we all like him."

The small timewalker frowns as she notices a significant divergence.

"Wait, this is wrong. Anduin never teleported to Theramore or Jaina again. But here…," she points at the shard, "here he does. And he is angry because of Garrosh's attempt on his life. He is frustrated and... Go'el, he has it in for you and starts shouting at you. He holds his hand in your direction."

"Chromie, please project this scene around us quickly. I fear I know what will happen but something like this never happened in our timeline."

 _Anduin comes closer, slowly, with his weakened legs. He ignores everyone when he enters the room, Jaina, Pained and Vol'jin, and solely focuses on the big orc. Thrall let him down, he let everyone down. Anduin feels the anger exploding in him. All of the sudden, Thrall, with horrified eyes, rapidly stands up from his chair, nearly falling over it and makes fleeing steps backwards._

 _"Anduin, stop it!" he shouts._

 _"Do you want to live through all this again?!" the extremely enraged Anduin counters._

 _Jaina does not know what to do in this situation._

 _"What are you doing, Anduin?" she hastily asks._

 _"Get out of my head, Anduin!" an increasingly scared Thrall begs. "Get out of my head!"_

 _With every step forward, Anduin corners Thrall at the wall. The young prince, overwhelmed by his rage in this moment, pushes his hand forward to intensify the mind control._

 _"Is that what the Horde wants? Back to old habits?!" he yells._

 _Thrall whimpers and holds his hands in front of his body as the terror emerges in his head. Anduin triggers the darkest memories of his life. The physical punishment in his childhood, the detached head of Taretha, the corrupted Grom and his death, his terrifying defeat, Varian's war declaration, Cairne's death, his nearly fatal confrontation with Deathwing, the assassination attempt on Vol'jin, the bombing of Theramore…_

 _Thrall, entirely being at Anduin's mercy, screams and shouts in horror._

 _"Anduin, stop!" Jaina begs._

 _Vol'jin makes a step forward._

 _"I gonna end dis."_

 _Jaina thwarts him, preventing even further escalation._

 _"No, Vol'jin! Please do not hurt him!"_

 _"AH! STOP IT!" Thrall yells in panic._

 _In this moment, he loses his mind, grabs Anduin and pushes him to the ground. Jaina shrieks._

 _"ANDUIN! I am not your enemy! Calm down!"_

 _The young prince struggles and shakes his head._

 _"Why don't you stop Garrosh?! Why don't you do anything against him?" the prince asks, still in rage._

 _"But we do! Look around you, we are all here to end him. And now… take the images out of my head or I will hurt you! ANDUIN!"_

 _Everyone surrounds them, nervously hoping for an immediate end. Then, Anduin ends the spell and looks into relieved, blue eyes. An unbearable pain fades._

 _"Baine…" he calls with teary eyes._

 _"He is on his way. We called for him. Your Baine will be here soon and he will join the rebellion."_

 _"I want to be a part of it."_

 _"You will, young man," Vol'jin speaks to him quietly. "Ol' Vol'jin already has plans for ya."_

The scene vanishes and Go'el feels astonished. He never saw the prince in anger. Yet, he can understand him. A teenager should never experience such pain and a teenager should be allowed to show his feelings occasionally. The alternate Anduin does that. Go'el lifts his head and faces Chromie. Knowing what will come next, they nod at each other.

"The rebellion is about to start soon," the small lady braces herself.


	10. Year 30 Part 2 (Siege of Orgrimmar)

**Chapter 10 - Year 30 Part 2 (SoO)**

The sky slowly brightens up. The clouds fade and the sunshine warms the skin. Chromie smiles at Go'el, feeling excited about the upcoming event.

"Shall we?" she rhetorically asks.

"Yes, Chromie. Let us watch the siege of Orgrimmar and its outcome in the other timeline."

"After Vol'jin's recovery, he began to plan the Darkspear rebellion to stop Garrosh with you. Baine still advises him to reach out for the Alliance. To his surprise, Vol'jin already did in that timeline. We saw the meetings in Theramore before, at least the escalated one. There were a few more until everyone was satisfied with the plan. About one month after the assassination attempt on Vol'jin, the rebellion begins.

First of all, Vol'jin and Baine still make their way to free Razor Hill from Garrosh's Kor'kron military. You prepare your move while sailing to Bladefist Bay. On the ship, you tell Jaina to stay behind until the horn is blown and the path is cleared so she does not get killed accidentally if you would not make it. Adding to this, you advised Vol'jin and Baine to take care of your family in case you die. To your surprise, even Tirion joins the rebellion."

"Wait, Tirion joins the other Thrall? He was not there in our timeline. I feel honored," Go'el comments.

"I am as surprised as you. Let us follow the event. The trolls and tauren make their way to Orgrimmar. And so, the assault on your beloved home town begins. I think it is better if we watch the entire scenario together, instead of retelling it for you."

 _Thrall, Varok, Anduin, Tirion, a small army of moderate Horde members and a first squad of Alliance forces make their way to the front gate of Orgrimmar. Shortly after their arrival, Baine and Vol'jin join them with their own forces. The rebels fight Garrosh's Kor'kron soldiers without mercy, to make way for the leaders. Thrall raises his fist. Everyone looks to the gate now and becomes quiet. Only the sound of battling weapons can be heard. Vol'jin pulls a horn out of his belt and blows it. The first sign for the goblin spies on top of the wall. They wave with their hands, giving signs to their helpers. A loud explosion strikes the area behind the gate. The second sign for the rebels to enter the city._

 _"Is every gate secured?" Thrall asks Vol'jin, the leader of the rebellion._

 _"Da city be encircled. Nobody kin escape."_

 _"And the civilians?"_

 _"We got as many out of dere as possible. Only Garrosh's men an' support from wit'in."_

 _Vol'jin turns around and looks at his Darkspear trolls and the other rebels. He nods and starts to run through the gate. Everyone knows what to do. The rebels follow him._

 _Once inside, Thrall faces the partly collapsed Grommash Hold. He and Tirion enter the building, searching for Garrosh but he is not there. The hold is empty. As they leave the hold again and turn northwards, Tirion spots Eitrigg, badly wounded, kneeling behind the hold._

 _"Old friend, what happened to you?" he sorrowfully asks and helps him stand up straight._

 _Eitrigg tells the rebels what happened, Garrosh's genocide plans, the Underhold beneath Ragefire Chasm, his lust for power. Tirion decides to stay with Eitrigg until the assault is over. The leaders of the rebellion accept his decision and move on._

 _The rebels fight their way up to Ragefire Chasm, making way for Thrall, Vol'jin and other leaders. Shortly before they enter the Underhold, the group splits._

 _"Thrall an' I gunna go up again, ta end da bloodshed. De others proceed. Meet us in da Valley of Wisdom. An' Anduin," Vol'jin turns to the young prince, "ju an' Baine will lead da troops. Move on!"_

 _Baine looks concerned. The troll speaks to him once more._

 _"Et's gunna be fine, Baine. Remember de plan."_

 _As they enter the Underhold, Baine confronts his young friend._

 _"Where is your father? He should be here already."_

 _"I secretly advised Jaina to hold him up for a while. To not cause even more trouble," Anduin replies._

 _"He certainly will not be amused. Let's go."_

 _The close friends fight their way deeper into the underground vault. While Baine guides the rebels, Anduin secures his back and heals the wounded._

 _Some areas deeper inside, the rebels are split into small groups. The two friends approach Malkorok in the Kor'kron barracks. He stands on the terrace and awaits the combatants._

 _"Anduin, control this beast's mind," Baine orders, "and make a step back."_

 _The prince lifts his hand and mentally distracts Garrosh's loyal guard. Baine slowly comes closer, his mien turns angrier with every step. Anduin has never seen him in such anger._

 _"Malkorok! YOU will not harm my Duran or any other child again!"_

 _Baine begins to punch the deformed orc, the fight is ruthless. The beast first seems to be stronger than Baine. Heavy punches hit many parts of Baine's body, his head, his belly, his back. An aimed hook at his temple misses by a narrow margin. But then, the tauren gains the upper hand and knocks his enemy to the ground. He smashes Malkorok's hand with his hoof. In a lucky moment, Baine grabs his throat and carries him to the edge of the terrace._

 _"I will now hurt you very, very much!" he gnarls, bares his teeth and pushes him off the edge._

 _The massive body falls and slams to the ground below. One can hear the spine snap from above. Malkorok spits blood, then his head falls to the side._

 _"Do you feel all right?" Anduin asks. Baine kneels down and lets him heal the wounds._

 _"Thank you, my friend. I am fine. And… I am sorry for disappointing you in the past. This was not my intention."_

 _"I forgive you, Baine. Do not worry. Shall we move on?"_

 _The bull lifts his head and looks at the human prince. His formerly saddened view becomes relief. Not just because of Anduin's kind words. His wounds are nothing but unnoticable scars anymore._

 _"Yes, we should. Stay focused. The next one is Garrosh. Rebels! Follow me."_

 _While Baine and the rebels fight their way deeper into the Underhold, the group in the streets of Orgrimmar entered the tauren village. The Kor'kron soldiers were either killed or cornered._

 _"Everyone, build a large circle. We gunna stay 'ere," Vol'jin orders his troops._

 _A female Darkspear warrior unbelievingly shakes her head._

 _"What are we doin' now, Vol'jin?"_

 _"Patience, mon. Dis be all accordin' ta plan. We be waitin' for da rebels ta meet us 'ere."_

 _Now, the remaining rebels stand in front of Garrosh inside his new throne room. He laughs and taunts them. Anduin tries to control Garrosh's mind but fails at first._

 _"Do you really believe that tiny human twat can control ME?! You are too weak and powerless to do anything!"_

 _The rebels start to battle Garrosh. In a moment of distraction, Baine rushes towards him and rapidly knocks him unconscious with one mighty strike. He throws the motionless body over his shoulders and orders the retreat. The tauren looks to Anduin with a sign of relief in his eyes._

 _"You did well. I am very proud of you. But this is not over yet."_

 _The prince smiles and realizes their friendship got even stronger today._

 _Baine frowns, snuffles and wrinkles his nose while walking back to the surface._

 _"He does not only behave like a monster, he even smells like one."_

 _Some minutes later, the dethroned Warchief finds himself inside the ring. Baine's rebels join the circle and watch the following event. Garrosh quickly regains his senses and stands up._

 _"Do you remember this place?" Thrall loudly asks while standing next to Vol'jin. "This is where I guided my people with respect and honor. And now, this is the place where your rule finds its end, Hellscream."_

 _"You ALL failed me. All I did, I did it for the Horde!"_

 _"No, you chose your own destiny. You chose to fuel your hatred. You endangered everything I worked for. Even my family. I made a mistake, Garrosh. I should have killed you long ago. A mistake I will make good today. This is something between you and me."_

 _Garrosh, feeling as cornered as his guards, bares his teeth and shouts:_

 _"MAK'GORA!"_

 _"To the death!"_

 _The crowd murmurs. Thrall expected this reaction was coming and adds the rules._

 _"A full body fight. No weapons. Only our bodies. No clothes besides our pants."_

 _The green orc pulls off his shaman robe and lends it to Vol'jin. He nods to him, turns to his opponent and makes some steps into the ring._

 _"I will crush you!" Garrosh roars, throws his armor to the ground and dashes towards his enemy._

 _Their fists clash, their legs collide. An even fight in the beginning. Garrosh draws first blood but Thrall, with countless hours of training in the past weeks, can keep his pace. The fight turns brutal after a while. Garrosh can land a hit, causing Thrall to stagger backwards into the arms of the crowd. Two human rebels catch him and push him back in the ring._

 _"End him!" they root for the green-skinned orc._

 _A few punches and kicks later, Garrosh begins to taunt Thrall once more._

 _"You are weak," he snarls and lands a hit on the chest, "you know nothing about true orcs!"_

 _His fists strike Thrall's arms._

 _"You behave like a human, you walk like a human, you smell like one!"_

 _Garrosh kicks his pelvis._

 _"You betrayed us all! You sided with the Alliance!"_

 _Thrall blocks the next punch and counters it with a sidewinder._

 _"To save the world!" Thrall retorts, turns around, pushes himself against Garrosh's body, grabs his arms and throws him over his shoulders, causing his enemy to land on his back._

 _"And to not provoke unnecessary war!" he adds and punches downwards. Garrosh can roll aside before Thrall's fist hits him. But then, the brown orc prevails again. He grabs Thrall's face, scratches it and leaves bleeding cuts, while swinging his other fist. He hits the cuts. Thrall groans with pain._

 _"You and your allies will fall to my power! Die, pathetic piece of scum!" Garrosh shouts and rains blows on his contender._

 _Anduin cannot stand back any longer. Secretly, he summons a healing spell in his hand. In this moment he feels a giant hand touching his, gently pushing it down again. Baine turns towards his small friend._

 _"Have faith in him."_

 _"But he will kill him," the prince desperately whispers._

 _"Have faith!" the tauren replies calmly but admonishing._

 _And he sees his trust rewarded. Garrosh has fought himself tired. This is the moment Thrall was waiting for. He wins the upper hand and now stands right in front of his enemy, hauling off his fists. The punch hits the face straight._

 _"This is for Vol'jin!"_

 _A second punch to the jaw._

 _"This is for Jaina!"_

 _A third punch that fractures his own hand._

 _"This is for Duran!"_

 _A forth punch, causing Garrosh to just stand there, stunned by the heavy impacts, waiting for the final blow. Both his face and Thrall's hand are covered with his dark red blood._

 _"And this is for me!"_

 _The final sidewinder to the jaw. A loud cracking. Garrosh's jaw shatters. He falls to the ground._

 _Thrall clenches his fists and roars while walking back to Vol'jin._

 _"The fight is over, Garrosh. I am done with you."_

 _He stands next to his friend Vol'jin and slaps him on the back, only now realizing that his hand his broken. First unnoticed by him, Garrosh grabs a sharp stone, leaps to his feet again and dashes for a final attack._

 _"Thrall!" Vol'jin shouts._

 _With big eyes, turning around and facing the approaching orc, Thrall fitfully raises his arms to the sky and summons the elements. Clouds darken the area, a thunder rumbles above the city._

 _"DIE!" he shouts and pushes Garrosh's chest with his hands. A lightning bolt strikes him. The impact lifts him off the ground and he flies across the ring. Thrall gets knocked back. Vol'jin notices that his friend's hands are severely burned and helps him standing up again. Everyone looks at the twitching body in the center of the ring. Lifeless jerks. Garrosh died even before he hit the ground._

 _"Hear me, people of Orgrimmar," Thrall calls with relief in his voice, "Garrosh is no more."_

 _"But who gunna be de Warchief now?" Vol'jin asks everybody around. "Da Horde needs a good Warchief now, more dan ever. Who be dere ta elect?"_

 _The orc turns to his old friend and smiles._

 _"You."_

 _"But I am not worthy. I am not even an orc."_

 _"Yes, but it was you who held the Horde together during this madness. It was you who made the first step. Not me. And… it was you who made me realize my mistakes, who reminded me of something I should care for."_

 _Thrall looks around, searching for something special. Not able to find it, he turns to Vol'jin again._

 _"From this day forward, Vol'jin, my brother – if you lead, I will follow."_

 _The orc kneels in front of the troll. Baine is among the first who bows in deep respect._

 _"I gunna give my all," Vol'jin accepts and thinks for a moment. Then he looks to the crowd._

 _"My first duty as de new Warchief is… Ta unban Thrall from Orgrimmar. Ju be welcomed 'ere."_

 _After these words, every rebel bows or kneels._

 _"An' I wish ju to be my first advisor. Together, we gunna rebuild da Horde."_

 _"It would be an honor, Vol-"_

 _Varian storms into the ring, pushing some rebels aside to make himself way. The king looks at the kneeling crowd, at Thrall, at the corpse in the dust. He comes too late to intervene._

 _"Thrall. I will not let you and the Horde get away with this!" he shouts and points at the dead body._

 _"I demand a trial for this murder. For everything the Horde did! Face your crimes!"_

 _The people around Vol'jin and Thrall, Horde and Alliance allies alike, step forward to protect them. Some of them try to talk Varian down._

 _"I will end the Horde. Now, once and for all. You beasts are-"_

 _"Father, no!" a young voice calls from the side. It is Anduin who walks into the ring. The people around him, surprised by his initiative, listen to his defending words._

 _"Stop hating them! They are my friends," he shouts and walks back to take Baine's hand, "Baine, Thrall. They are honorable men. I like them and they like me."_

 _To Anduin's surprise, Baine does not only hold his tiny hand, he wraps his arm around the chest to protect him and to demonstrate the strong bond they developed this day._

 _"Varian, he is right!" a female voice from behind prevents him from speaking further. Everyone turns around to see Jaina approaching her king inside the circle._

 _"Discard your hatred. So do I. There is no reason for it anymore, not after this victory today."_

 _"What did they do to you, father? Look at them. They do no harm to anyone who respects them. If he wanted to," Anduin points up to Baine, "he could crush me just like Garrosh did. But he does not because we are friends. Look in their eyes. They are just as horrified by Garrosh's madness as we are."_

 _"They just ended a bloody civil war and you want to destroy them? Look around you, Varian. See the truth. I do see it now. Garrosh is dead and with him his tyranny is gone."_

 _Vol'jin makes one step forward._

 _"King Varian, I speak for da Horde. We paid for dis madness wit blood," he says and points at the scarred wound which nearly killed him, "I, as de new Warchief, ask ju ta not take any further action against our Horde. Leave us in peace. Let us rebuild our society."_

 _The king looks around once more. All eyes stare at him, waiting for a sign of reason._

 _"I have to admit. The times of terror are over. You have your redemption. But hear me, Vol'jin. The day the Horde fails to uphold its honor once more, the Alliance will end you without mercy. I will never return to Kalimdor again. Anduin, you come with me now."_

 _With eyes wide open, the prince refuses._

 _"No. I want to stay with Baine and help them."_

 _"Anduin," his beloved friend speaks up, "listen to your father. We will meet again very soon. Go now."_

 _Disheartened, Anduin feels how Baine loosens the embrace. King Varian takes his son's hand and leaves the place without saying anything else._

 _While Vol'jin declares his new leading direction to the crowd, Jaina makes some steps towards Thrall. She comes closer and falls into his strong arms. For the first time in months, they cuddle and feel the warmth of their bodies._

 _"It is over. It is over, Jaina. I did all this… for you," Thrall says in a tender, relieving voice._

 _"I know."_

 _"I am so sorry for being blind. I will never ignore you again. From now on, I will always care for you. Let us start anew. Like in the peaceful years. No more fighting, no more arguing. I-"_

 _"Shut up, big boy."_

 _Jaina kisses him, regardless of the crowd surrounding them. A long, loving kiss ends years of conflict and tension. They forgive each other's mistakes and reestablish their unusual bond._

Go'el is impressed by the ending.

"This is it?" he asks, surprised by the different outcome of the siege.

"Yes, Go'el. This is the siege of Orgrimmar in that alternate timeline. It ends the war. You see peace and your family restored. And I am sure you want to know how that timeline develops afterwards."

"I expect it to be slightly different. Just like everything else we have seen today. Please, go on."

Chromie smiles as she sees nothing but good moments ahead.

"On the same day, Vol'jin and Thrall decide to ease some Horde rules. For example, you give your people more rights to vote. The zeppelin route between Orgrimmar and Theramore reopens."

"We get rid of ancient Horde rules?" Go'el wonders. "Maybe we should do that in our time as well."

"This is funny. You come back to Theramore in the evening and embrace your son. He only notices how tired you look. 'Pa, you need rest', he says. What a lovely boy. The first thing you do is jumping into the ocean. Not without realizing how much your hands hurt. Afterwards, Jaina guides her visibly exhausted husband to the bed. In the moment you see the soft bedsheet, you tilt forward to fall onto it. Jaina covers you with the blanket and leaves. You sleep for nearly two days."

"And I really needed that sleep as you can imagine."

"Some weeks later, you decide to retire from active fighting. Instead, you shuttle between your old and new home to help and advise Vol'jin. You now work as a diplomat, advising your people in Orgrimmar and Theramore, with Anduin on the other side of the world. Yes, Anduin stays in contact with you, thanks to Jaina. Speaking of him, the poor prince. After the siege, he is in conflict with his father. They do not talk to each other anymore. His father does not allow him to meet his Horde friends. He feels devastated and fears that he will not see his close friend Baine again."

Go'el joins Chromie's cheerful mien.

"It warms my heart to see how much he loves the high chieftain. But what about him?"

"Oh, he also misses his little Anduin but he has a plan. We will come to that later."

The gnome lady halts for a moment to watch the events closely.

"There is still something negative… and the effect is surprising. You get more and more dissatisfied with the Horde when you learn that many orcs and younger Horde people cheered for Garrosh's assault on Theramore. Go'el…"

"Just go on. I know how my people reacted back then. Everyone told me."

"You talk to Eitrigg about your uneasiness because he was in a similar situation after the second war. He reminds you of his story and tells you: 'A new beginning can be good.'"

"I guess I know what this leads up to."

"Enough with the bad stuff. Here comes something wonderful. Theramore is being rebuilt and in that phase expands with more and more neutral people moving there. Jaina uses this opportunity to redesign parts of the city and her own tower, to make it safer, to modernize it and to give Duran his own living area for later years. It looks like a very modern but clean city. And now, let us change the location."

The timewalkers find themselves in Thunder Bluff now, not too far away from Baine's tent. They see a large table and a crowd of people having joyful conversations.

"Some months after the siege, the summer begins to fade, Baine invites his friends to a barbeque."

"We never had a barbeque in our timeline," Go'el remembers.

"That is why I like it. And almost every of his and your very close friends are there. You, Jaina, Pained, Aggra, Duran, Kalec… and Anduin."

"Anduin? He is there? How? And what about Vol'jin?"

"Let me see… Jaina rebukes Varian for his still hateful behaviour and convinces him to let Anduin go. She really is tough in that timeline. And Vol'jin… You invite him but he declines due to his duties. Anyway, the friends rent grills from the goblins and smokers from the tauren. Of course, no steaks are served."

The two spectators laugh out loud.

"You all sit on a long table next to a tree within range of Baine's tent. Bowls and baskets with all sorts of foods litter the table. Everyone present talks and laughs. There is no hatred, no mistrust. But look at this. Kalec has a crush on Pained. Hihi! He is flirting. Where is Baine…? Oh there, on the meadows. He and Anduin play with Duran. They have a lot of fun running around, playing with leather swords and they giggle all the time. Duran lands a hit on Baine's chest and the giant bull playfully falls on his back and makes funny faces at his little friend."

 _"Attack!" Anduin yells and the boys lunge at the big bull. Only to be lifted by him while grabbing his neck. He roars, playing the resurrected bad guy, stomping with his hooves as he carries them around his tent._

"Can you see how unburdened they behave and interact? The pleasure in their eyes? Even Hamuul and Sunwalker Dezco who just lost his entire family, join the barbeque later. They all laugh and have a good time. But oh… not good. Some time later, while everyone besides the playing boy and Baine have their meal, Duran runs and stumbles over a stone and falls. He cries and holds his knee. Baine fitfully grabs and carries him to his tent."

 _"Hand me a wet towel," he whispers to a worried Jaina while rushing inside._

"The tears roll down the boy's face while Baine sits him on a log. And he does great as the big uncle. He calms Duran down quickly."

 _"Look at uncle Baine. Do you know how we comfort our boys?" Baine asks playfully. Then he rubs his muzzle on Duran's chest and moos. The boy giggles and his uncle puts the moist towel on the slightly skinned knee to clean the dirt off. Jaina stands by the threshold, relieved by his loving care._

 _"Look, Duran. It is not so bad. Only a scratch. And you know what? When you stop crying, you get as much spice bread as you want. Deal?"_

 _The boy nods, rubs the tears off his face and takes Baine's hand to walk back outside._

"This is so sweet," Go'el comments. "Look at Baine. Look at the boy. Look at the harmony, Chromie. I wish I was the Thrall in that timeline. Let us leave them alone. What comes after the barbeque?"

The small lady frowns once again.

"As you might have noticed, there is no trial on Pandaria because you killed Garrosh in Orgrimmar. The reason I frown is because you change drastically in that timeline. In the following months, you reflect on the past years. About what Garrosh said to you in his rage. You question the behaviour of your people, your unusually kind behaviour for an orc. You acknowledge your relationship with Jaina and the humans in Theramore, your general attitude towards other races and the Alliance. You understand them better than your own kind. And you remember Eitrigg's words. After weeks of deep thoughts and after your initial work as Vol'jin's advisor is done, you come to a conclusion. Garrosh was right. Your childhood made you different. Remember when you said you have feeling what all this leads up to? Here it comes: You leave the Horde!"

Go'el's jaw drops. He loses his face and throws his hands up.

"I DO WHAT?! That…"

"Speechless?" Chromie asks with a sly smile.

"You have no idea. I would never do this. I mean, I have no problems with humans or the Alliance. I never had. This, however… no."

"It gets even better. You, among many others, establish a new faction. The 'Guardians of Azeroth', placed in between the Horde and the Alliance, led and joined by many neutral people in this world, including you. As a proof of concept, Jaina calls Tirion to accompany her to Orgrimmar. There, he reunites with Eitrigg. They tell him about the new faction, about their plans and convince the old orc to move to Theramore. He agrees."

Once again, Thrall looks baffled but admits:

"He has always been one of the good orcs. I have blind faith in him. Everyone likes him and in this timeline, we give him the trust back that he has always given us. Wonderful."

"And so," Chromie concludes, "I can see Eitrigg enjoying his remaining years in a small hat near the north-western entrance of the city. Here, he becomes a valued storyteller, cherished by the citizens. Tirion visits his old friend regularly and when he does, they make each other laugh like an old, married couple. They go fishing or tell a crowd of people stories of their past."

"Anything else you can tell me about the new faction?" Go'el asks the narrating lady.

"Oh yes. Many high ranked people join the faction or give their people the opportunity to choose. Among them are you and Jaina, Anduin, Aggra, Baine, Kalec, Tirion, Eitrigg and Velen. The other leaders stay within their faction, such as Vol'jin. He remains the Warchief for good. Aside from that, the new faction signs a non-violence agreement. Similar to the Theramore law. That does not prevent conflict but it is a step in the right direction for the good of Azeroth. And that is the end of this year in the alternate timeline. I have nothing else to show you."


	11. Year 31 - A New Beginning

**Year 31 - A New Beginning**

After some moments, Chromie frowns and starts to explain her expression:

"As you might have noticed, there is no trial on Pandaria because you killed Garrosh in Orgrimmar. The reason I frown is because you change drastically in that timeline. In the following months, you reflect on the past years. About what Garrosh said to you in his rage. You question the attitude of your people, your unusually kind behaviour for an orc. You acknowledge your relationship with Jaina and the humans in Theramore, your general openness towards other races and the Alliance. You have the feeling that you understand them better than your own kind. And you remember Eitrigg's wise words. After weeks of deep thoughts and after your initial work as Vol'jin's advisor is done, you come to a conclusion. Garrosh was right. Your childhood made you different."

"Come to the point, Chromie," Go'el interrupts her with impatience in his voice.

"Remember when you said you have a feeling what all this leads up to? Here it comes: You leave the Horde!"

"I DO WHAT?! That…"

Go'el's jaw drops. He loses his face and throws his hands up.

"Speechless?" Chromie asks with a sly smile.

"You have no idea. I would never do this. I mean, I have no problems with humans or the Alliance. I never had. This, however… no."

"It gets even better. You, among many others, establish a new faction.

The 'Guardians of Azeroth', placed in between the Horde and the Alliance, led and joined by many neutral people in this world, including your counterpart. A home for those who are tired of the neverending faction war. As a proof of concept, Jaina calls Tirion to accompany her to Orgrimmar. There, he reunites with Eitrigg. They tell him about the new faction, about their plans and convince the old orc to move to Theramore. He agrees."

Once again, Thrall looks baffled but admits:

"He has always been one of the good orcs. I have blind faith in him. Everyone likes him and in this timeline, we give him the trust back that he has always given us. Wonderful."

"And so," Chromie concludes, "I can see Eitrigg enjoying his remaining years in a small cottage near the north-western entrance of the city. Here, he becomes a valued storyteller, cherished by the citizens. Tirion visits his old friend regularly and when he does, they make each other laugh like an old, married couple. They go fishing or tell a crowd of people stories of their past."

"Their friendship really looks strong. Seeing the other Eitrigg fills me with joy. But let us concentrate on the new faction. Anything else you can tell me about its beginning?" Go'el asks the narrating lady.

"Oh yes. Many high ranked people join the faction or give their people the opportunity to. Among them are you and Jaina, Anduin, Aggra, Kalec, Tirion, Eitrigg and the draenei leader, Prophet Velen. Go'el then writes down an oath everyone has accept to officially become a member."

 _Go'el stands in Tirion's room, accompanied by Jaina. The old paladin lifts his hand and looks at the big orc to be the first to make the oath._

 _"We are the Guardians of Azeroth, so we act. Bound by honor and unity. We protect our world and respect all races equally. Peace is our aspiration. So we can leave a better world to posterity. For Azeroth."_

 _He reaches out his hand and Go'el shakes it._

 _"A bit too patriotic for those who are tired of factions," Tirion comments, "but we will improve the text. Will you stay for dinner?"_

"Chromie, tell me about the other leaders."

"The other leaders stay within their faction, such as Vol'jin. He remains the Warchief for good. Baine also stays within the Horde as a moderate leader but gives his people the choice to join the 'Guardians' or even become neutral. He works as a diplomat and communicator between the factions. With regular visits and meetings in Thunder Bluff, Theramore and even Stormwind. Not only to see his family and friends. Aside from that, the new faction signs a non-violence agreement. Similar to the Theramore law. That does not prevent conflict but it is a step in the right direction for the good of Azeroth. Within a year, the leaders and ambassadors of the Guardians are accepted and respected people throughout the world. And you, my dear Go'el, achieved peace at last. That is the end of this year in the alternate timeline. I have nothing else to show you."

The big orc is amazed. His counterpart on the other side of the shard chose a totally different, more pleasant path after the siege of Orgrimmar. A thought comes to his mind.

"Shouldn't the other Thrall travel to the alternate Draenor soon?"

"Keep in mind, Go'el. In that timeline you already killed Garrosh, he never escaped the trial and the portal to the alternate universe is never opened."

"Valid reasons, I have to admit. If the journey to Draenor does not happen, what does Thrall do?"

"After you helped Vol'jin renewing the Horde, left it and established the new faction, you take a full year off. Instead of working and saving the world, you care for Jaina and your boy. Just the way you promised. You take your time to calm down after all the tragedy. Surprisingly, after years of doubt, you accept a more human lifestyle with Jaina by your side. Look, even your haircut is different. The braids are gone, you wear your hair way shorter. And… Oh. OH! Do you see that?"

Chromie points at the alternate Jaina and cheers.

"The belly. She is pregnant again."

"Oh?" the astonished orc wonders.

"Remember the broken hand and the heavily burned skin? For weeks, the hands need to be treated to heal. Magic does not help much. Even a soft touch of Jaina's finger hurts. They are wrapped up in bandages. Therefore, you are at the mercy of your wife. She helps you, she feeds you and when she is annoyed or angry with you, she calls you 'Mister Proudmoore'. And you do not like that. Then again, when Duran is with Pained or Baine and you are alone, well… you and Jaina use the time for intimate togetherness. You stay in your private floor, you embrace her with your wrapped hands, she pulls your shaman robe off... Or you sneak into the newly constructed bathhouse or the new community hall at night to be undisturbed. And you make the most of it."

"Chromie… You were right," Go'el says with pleasure, "they will be happy."

"I told you. Before we end our meeting today, as we have reached the present day, I have a little surprise for you. Follow me to the highway."

Chromie stands up and faces a very confused Go'el. He feels something is strange. She gives him a smile and transforms into a bronze dragon. Go'el hesitantly climbs on her back. She takes him to the western entrance of Theramore, where wide bridges once led to the Southern Barrens. A short but thoughful ride.


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Go'el finds himself dropped on the small islet where the two massive bridges meet. Chromie, now in her gnome form again, stands next to him and places the shard which made today's timewalking possible, though fragmented, in his hand.

"Look into my eyes," Chromie says and pulls Go'el's massive head down. He feels the world bending around him. Just like it did several times during their journey. However, it is different this time. It feels so real.

"And here we are now."

"Now?" he asks puzzled.

"Yes, we are now. Here. In Theramore. Just look around."

Go'el looks up and cannot believe what he sees. The broad bridges leading from Theramore to the Southern Barrens are filled with market stands. Vendors from all over the continent came here to sell their foods and goods. He watches boats in the bay just coming back from fishing. Hundreds of people, many races, are around him. They roam this place. Some have a chat, some laugh, some move from stand to stand and carry filled bags. Go'el takes a deep breath and smells the fresh air coming from the sea which encloses the city, and the fresh bread. After looking around for a while, overpowered by the impressions, he spots a big green-skinned man in good clothing coming closer. The man carries his boy on his shoulders and a beautifully dressed lady walks next to him. The lady talks to her personal guard and girlfriend who accompanies them.

Go'el holds his breath as he realizes: It is him. It is Thrall and his family, living in a different timeline. They look happy, neat and healthy. And they enjoy the peaceful times. Theramore was indeed never destroyed but instead became a busy town which benefits from its neutrality and favourable location. It became the prosper place to be in the southern half of the continent. A modern city, as it is called by its satisfied citizens.

Suddenly, the other Thrall stops and looks straight at his identical self. His eyes get bigger in surprise. In this moment, Go'el feels someone taking the shard out of his hand. He twitches and wakes up from this dream. The voices and the market stands around him fade, so do the people. Now, he looks at the eternal ruins again.

"What did you just show me, Chromie?" Go'el asks, still dazzled by the impressions.

"My dear Go'el," she twinkles. "That was what you asked for. A possible timeline with you and Jaina. And one of the best on top of that. "

Go'el closes his eyes. His breath jitters.

"Was it all real?"

"As real as any other timeline you have entered in your life. I hope it was not too painful for you because-"

While Chromie explains, she notices how Go'el's eyes fill with tears. The bronze dragon looks at the pitiful orc and realizes how he fights against his overwhelming sadness. The beautiful images of a peaceful Theramore, a happy family, a better life for his other self affect him more than Chromie feared.

"You are a good man, Go'el. No matter which choices you made or will make in the future. Never forget about this."

"I should have cared for her… I should have helped her… I should have been there for her… Why?! It was all my fault... Jaina…"

Go'el falls to his knees and covers his face with his hands. He weeps, silently, and mourns the good times.

"Go back to your family, now. They need you. Just never forget how strong your bond with her was. Never forget the old Jaina and how good she was to you… Now you know that you cared for her in another timeline."

Go'el sobs and whines. His lips are shaking. Chromie feels sorry for him. The crying orc, dandling on the ground, weeping for all the loss, missing the good times of the past. She carefully comes closer and grabs his jittering hand. It is drowned in tears.

After being on his feet again, they slowly leave the ruins and the marshes behind. Go'el turns his head around one last time and bids Theramore farewell. His blurred sight notices sun rays casting bright light on this once beautiful place.

 _"Hello, big boy. Anybody there?" Jaina asks and waves in front of Thrall's face. He shrugs but immediately gives her a smile._

 _"Oh, it is nothing. I thought I saw someone but in the end… there was nothing. Ha! Those visions do get crazy sometimes," he replies and laughs._

 _His laughter gets interrupted by powerful slaps on his head._

 _"Pa, look. Apples," the young Duran says while patting his father's head again._

 _"You want an apple? That is a good idea."_

 _They walk up to the friendly looking orc lady. The apples look delicious and reflect the warming sun on their shiny skins._

 _"Five apples."_

 _"Five?" Jaina skeptically asks. Thrall gives her a serious look._

 _"Two for me… You know that I have to eat more than you," he gently explains._

 _The vendor lifts her eyebrow and smirks while picking the best fruits._

 _"And this one is for you," she says and gives Duran an exceptionally red apple. The boy looks at her with big eyes and smiles. Then she looks down again._

 _"That makes one silver coin... Mister Proudmoore."_

 _"Farewell," Jaina replies and pulls a coin out of her pocket._

 _"Hey Pa, look over there. A big sandbox," the excited boy notices. "Can we play? Please!"_

 _"Oh yes!" Thrall cheers. "You know what? Let us build mama's tower, shall we? Come on."_

 _They chuckle and quickly leave the ladies behind. Pained stops and looks at Jaina. They both think the same. Jaina rolls her eyes._

 _"I really have to care for two boys."_

 _The ladies giggle and slowly catch up. And while they linger from stand to stand, they spot Anduin leaning on a tree and waiting for them at the other side of the market._

 **\- The End -**

Dedicated to everyone who has always wished for a mutual future for Thrall and Jaina, to everyone who has never given up on their friendship, to everyone who also misses warmth in the Warcraft universe.


End file.
